The Fox and The Wolf
by disneykid95
Summary: Jordan Wilde is a Muggleborn Ravenclaw with the knack of keeping to herself. She's a seventh year at Hogwarts in the year 1978, along with some other trouble-makers. One in particular finds Jordan rather interesting...
1. The Train to Home: Prologue

**Hello, all! This is my first fanfic on here, so be gentle! Enjoy :).**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not owned by me.**

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I stumbled into King's Cross station with shakey knees and butterflies in my stomach. There wasn't anything I should have been particularly worried or nervous about; I had been going to Hogwarts for seven years! You would think I would have gotten over the first day shivers by now. Apparently I hadn't. Maybe it was the fact that this was to be the last time I traveled to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express for my very last year at the most magical of schools. My heart skipped a beat as I trotted through the wall to Platform 9 3/4. The wheels of the trolley shook as badly as my knees. Apollo fidgeted in his cage as I ran over a small bump in the stone ground. "Sorry, Lo. Go back to sleep," I whispered to the ornery fox. His orange head peered up at me and his big yellow eyes squinted. He was angry with me, as usual. I woke him from his nap. "I know, I know. Hate me later."

Resigning from his anger, he laid his head back down on the front of his paws. It must be nice, not having to worry about anything other than napping. I, on the other hand, no longer had that luxury. Back to school meant back to the books. Not that I minded, terribly; I enjoy studying. However, I knew I would miss those lazy days reading on my favorite armchair in my bedroom with rain pelting down on the windows and a warm cup of coffee in hand.

At least I would see my friends. Or, acquaintances rather. I like keeping to myself most days, but I wouldn't turn down company if I'm not too busy. I'm usually busy, though. It was normally just me and Apollo. Our bond is a fickle one. There isn't a time when he isn't angry with me, yet if he feels like someone is a danger to me, he bares his teeth and chases them off. Sweet, really, but a hindrance, considering he finds most a danger. Of course, the fact that my Animagus form is a fox doesn't help the situation. He sees me as one of his own. I would, too, if I were him.

The train whistle blew for the final boarding call. Parents all around me kissed their children one last time before saying goodbye for another year. I felt a pang of loneliness. My parents had never taken me onto the platform, even when I was young. They were Muggles that didn't understand the concept of magic, so, naturally, they turned their backs on it. My mother is a librarian and my father a biologist. He tries to theorize magic into a tangible science, but that's impossible. I've tried to tell him, but he just won't listen. Mother is a bit more accepting, although not by much. When I tell her about school she only ever responds with, "That's nice, dear." or "Yes, dear. Did you clean your room?"

It doesn't matter anyway. Once I'm at Hogwarts, everything will feel right again.

I scurried to the train doors and pushed my suitcase up the stairs with Apollo's cage in my hand. A boy gave me a hand up and helped me with my over packed bag.

"Thank you," I said. He nodded and went to find his friends. Apollo growled in his tiny jail. "Oh, hush, you."

All of the other students were filling the compartments as they found their friends. I shimmied through the crowded corridor, struggling to keep my suitcase and Apollo under each arm. Finally, I found an empty compartment. I blew a piece of my red hair out of my eyes as I pried open the door. "Just you and me now, old boy," I said, opening Apollo's cage. He raced out of it and onto the seat opposite me. Stretching his long, lean body, he let out a tremendous yawn and plopped back down for his third nap of the day. "You are ridiculous, I hope you know that," I said to him. He ignored me.

I opened my suitcase and looked around for my hair ribbon. My locks were getting incredibly unruly particularly early today. On an average day, the lion's mane that is my hair tends to become it's most curly and tangled at around three o'clock. It was barely eleven and it already had a mind of its own. I took the ribbon in my hand and collected as much of my hair as I could get a hold of. My hands twisted methodically as I attempted to give myself a side braid. I accomplished at least a close resemblance, closer than I could normally pull off, to say the least. I tied the end with my garnishment of choice and fell back into the seat, finally relaxed.

This year, my final year, would be the greatest time of my life. I could feel it. It sent shivers through my bones and caught my heart on fire with its warmth. I was going Hogwarts for the last time. I was going home.

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	2. Apollo, seriously?

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The train rolled along the British countryside, bobbing and weaving through its impeccable hills. We were almost there. Just another ten minutes and I'd be walking into the Great Hall to sit with my fellow Ravenclaws.

Known as the house of wisdom and knowledge, Ravenclaw fit me as well as my favorite cardigan. There is no house I would rather be in, and I can't imagine my life if I had been sorted anywhere else.

Apollo liked it, too. He likes that there isn't too much noise. Plus, he can always find a mouse to chew on somewhere.

Only five minutes now; the train was starting to slow. I reached for my trunk above my head to retrieve my robes. I pulled out my neatly pressed blouse and skirt to change into. My black cloak with royal blue trimming lay underneath. I took it out and surveyed it. I never liked wearing the old thing, but it was my last first day. Call me sentimental, but I felt obligated to put it on despite how uncomfortable it was.

The train jolted into the station. I stumbled over myself as I pulled on my socks. I got ready too late, same as every year. Every other student flooded out of their compartments, and here I was; still struggling to find my second shoe. Apollo popped out of my open suitcase with said shoe in his mouth. "You are my hero, Lo!"

I forced the black mary jane onto my foot while trying to close my trunk at the same time. Apollo leaped onto my shoulder and slithered himself into my cloak. "You aren't allowed to come with me," I said to him. I didn't have time for his antics currently; I needed to get out of this compartment! Only a select few were still mulling around in the train corridor.

Apollo looked up at me with his big, yellow eyes. He hated being alone. I sighed, "Fine. But if you get me expelled, I will trade you for a cat. Understood?"

He cooed. I ran out of the compartment with his small head poking through my cloak. I shoved his muzzle deeper into the fabric as the boy that helped me with my trunk passed by.

"Bit late off the train, aren't we?" he said with a smirk.

"I was just sleeping. I woke up a bit late. Real heavy sleeper, you know," I lied. Apollo growled in between my arms. I gave him a forceful squeeze to shut him up.

"Ah, I see," he responded. He knew I was lying. I could tell by the look on his face, which I just noticed was covered in scars. In fact, every bit of his exposed skin was scarred. They looked like marks an animal would make...

"Well, now that you are awake, I insist that you get off the train. Please," he said politely. I nodded and stepped onto the platform. The boy followed me out, closing the door behind him. He tapped the door with his wand three times. This must have done something, as the train started up its engine.

"Why were you still on the train?" I asked, suddenly curious. He tapped a red badge on the front of his robes with his finger. 'Prefect', it said. "Right. That would make sense," I cringed. I needed to remember to be more observant.

"What's your name?"

"Jordan Wilde."

"Remus Lupin," he said, holding his hand out for me to shake. "Pleasure to meet you."

I took his hand and shook it. "Likewise," I said. Remus smirked again. He had a crooked grin that morphed with the scars on his face. His green eyes were pale; more like a lily pad than leaf green. I noticed his robes. His prefect badge was the only new thing on his person. His cloak was ragged and torn. The crimson lining was falling apart at the seams. For whatever reason, he peeked my interest. Well, not whatever reason. His scars were troublesome to me.

We walked to the carriages. There was only one left; all the others must already be up at the castle. The thestral pulling the carriage let out a large gasp of air through his nose. I went over to him and stroked his nose. His teeth gnawed affectionately at my fingers. Apollo hissed.

"What are you doing?" Remus asked.

"Petting the thestral. Can't you see them?"

"No...but you can?" he said. His eyes squinted curiously and his brows furrowed together like he was thinking of something troubling.

"Yes..." I cautioned. I felt my cheeks grow hot. Remus continued to stare at me with that puzzled look. I cleared my throat and stepped into the carriage. Remus followed me in. Apollo shifted in my cloak; he was becoming restless. And hungry. I tried my best to keep him hidden, but his little nose kept popping out.

"What've you got there? Not a Fizzing Whizbee, I hope. Although, that could make quite the entrance," he joked.

"Nothing! Not a Whizbee, just my...stomach. I'm really hungry," I lied, for the second time. Remus raised his eyebrows and continued to smirk. Okay, at first it was nice, but now it was getting annoying. "Why are you smiling?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean why are you smirking like that at me? Do you think I'm lying?"

"Hold on, no one here is accusing you of lying. Relax a little bit," he said, throwing up his hands reassuringly. I narrowed my eyes at him discreetly and pursed my lips, "Mmhmm."

"No, really! I don't think you're lying...maybe bending the truth slightly, but hey, whatever."

I turned away from him. "I'll ignore him. That'll teach him," I thought, incredibly irrationally. I heard him breathe a giggle. Luckily, we didn't have to sit in silence; the carriage stopped at the doors to the castle. I got up quickly without saying a word. Apollo wouldn't stop fidgeting and it was getting on my nerves.

Professor McGonagall was standing guard by the door. Her face was pinched, however, she wasn't cross. She just had the appearance of being cross...all the time. A small smile appeared on her lips as I climbed the steps to the vast doors.

"Running late, Miss Wilde. If Mr. Lupin wasn't with you, I'd have to take five points from Ravenclaw already!" she said.

"Sorry, Professor! I fell asleep on the train. We didn't miss the feast, I hope?"

"Not quite, but you're cutting it close. Hurry, hurry! To the Great Hall! The sorting will begin any moment!"

With Apollo now up my sleeve, Remus and I hustled through the entrance hall and into the feast. Heads turned as we opened the door. Remus gave me a final glance and a nod before he walked to the Gryffindor table. Three boys were saving him a seat. I knew one to be James Potter, the Gryffindor chaser. The other was, Sirius Black, I think. The third, I had never seen before. They all gave me the once over and Sirius punched Remus' arm playfully. James laughed and ruffled his hair.

I rolled my eyes and went to sit with my fellow 'Claws. Just as I sat down, Apollo stuck his whole mouth out of the bottom of my sleeve and started to nibble on my fingers. Smirking, I pushed him back in.

Headmaster Dumbledore stood up and the room fell silent. He started his annual speech, but my thoughts floated away into the starry ceiling.

I was at Hogwarts. Finally. I couldn't stop smiling; my stomach couldn't stop doing flips! Then, I thought of Remus. I looked over in his direction, expecting to see his back turned. But it wasn't. His body was facing Dumbledore, but his head was turned to me. We made eye contact; he didn't look away. He smirked. His scars were more visible in the light, nevertheless he still looked unbelievably kind.

Applause broke out as Dumbledore finished. Only then did he look away.

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	3. Intruder

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Ah, the first day of class…my favorite day of the whole year. I woke early to get myself mentally prepared for my day ahead. My blankets did try and smother me with their warmth, but I resisted the temptation to sleep another five minutes, and another, and another. Quite proudly, I swung my legs onto the luxurious carpet that lined the seventh year girls' dormitory. Bits of sunlight leaked through the curtained window onto the tips of my toes. It was like it was telling me it was going to be a good day.

All the other girls were still asleep, naturally. It had to be five o'clock. Classes didn't start until half past seven. I had one and a half whole hours to wander about the corridors. It was somewhat of a tradition of mine. Wake up early the first day, pick up some breakfast in the Great Hall, wrap it up, and find somewhere new to eat it. Tradition. Even the ignorant Apollo knew, and he never knows anything about anything that doesn't have to do with naps or mice. He let me have my two hours of freedom in exchange for a warm spot underneath my covers.

In fact, no sooner had I stood up from my four poster did he jump into my place. "Old codger," I whispered, giving him a soft pat on the head. His eyes fluttered shut.

'Time to get ready, I suppose. I really hope my hair didn't do that thing it does.' I shuffled around my trunk for my mirror. Finding it wrapped in a pair of my socks, I lifted it up to get a view of my mane. Sadly, it was doing the thing. Several chunks of curls stuck up at odd ends, while others plastered themselves stick straight to my head. It was like a mix between a bowl and a hedgehog.

I grabbed my wand from the bedside table and pointed it at my head. "Deprimo," I uttered. A small gust of wind blew my hair into place. I gave my head a shake for good measure and put on my Muggle clothes. I would have time to change into my robes after breakfast, but now my stomach was rumbling.

Slipping on a cardigan, I ran down the step and flung myself out of the common room. My feet were moving a mile a minute as I raced to get to the Great Hall. 'Food, food, food, food…' I timed my thoughts with every step I took down the million staircases. I paid little attention to my surroundings; my whole focus was set on the path in front of me. 'Almost there...'

Until, smack! I fell in slow motion with a heavy body on top of me. "Sorry, I didn't..." I started, but then I got a look at who exactly I ran into. It was none other than Remus Lupin. "Oh, it's just you."

"Oh, yes, just me. Don't worry, it didn't hurt...except for my pride, of course, so don't be insulted if I don't accept your apology," he sassed, getting up from the ground. He held his hand out for me to get up. I stared at it for a long time before reluctantly taking it. "Why are up this early?" I asked.

"I could ask the same to you. I am a prefect...and you are not. I can technically take points from you for being out of bed before hours, but," he said as I opened my mouth to protest. "I won't. So long as you take me wherever you were going."

"I'd rather you just take the points, thank you."

Remus laughed. It didn't sound like I thought it would. It was warm and genuine. It brought a smile to my face. "Just kidding, you can come."

"Good, I was really worried," he joked, pretending to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow.

"Alright, you don't have to be cheeky about it. Hurry up, though. I'm hungry and I've got a schedule to keep."

"Oh? Doing what?"

I smirked, "You'll see."

I led my intruder to the Great Hall to pick up our breakfast. As usual, there was only a few staff members sitting down to eat. Dumbledore was among them. He gave a gentle wave and smile, which I returned. Dumbledore knew my habit and left me to my only vice. He truly was a great wizard.

Pulling off my cardigan, I grabbed as much food as I could fit into my sweater. Remus gave me a funny look as I piled everything on.

"What on earth are you doing? You're sweater is getting filthy."

"Are you going to question everything I do? Or is buggering everyone a hobby of yours?"

"Ha ha," he said sarcastically. I tied my sleeves together and made a sort of rucksack. I grabbed the cuff of Remus' shirt and pulled him out of there, smiling mischievously the whole while.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" he asked.

"No, because I don't know where we're going!"

"You don't," he said. I shook my head. "Then, may I make a suggestion?"

I cocked my head to the side; my eyebrow raised involuntarily. "A suggestion?" He nodded. "By all means," I said.

It was his turn to lead the way. He grabbed my hand with vigor as he ran down the corridor. We both laughed as we stumbled over each other. "You are ripping my arm off!"

"Oh, no I'm not. We're almost there; keep your pants on!" he said. Our run trotted down to a step as we approached a statue of a one-eyed witch with a humpback. I grew puzzled again. This is where he was taking me?

"I know what you're thinking," he started, reading the look on my face. "It's not all that it appears."

He stepped back from me and turned to the statue. With is wand, he tapped the witch's hump whispering, "Dissendium."

The hump shifted aside, revealing a small pathway leading to a dark destination that I couldn't make out. My jaw dropped slightly; my eyes widened. Remus held out his hand. I took it without hesitation this time.

"What? How?" I stuttered, my mouth was still ajar. He smiled. He wasn't going to tell me. That was alright. Well, not really. I was wanted to know what this place was. But more importantly, I was annoyed that Remus knew about it long before I did.

"Is this satisfactory?" he asked. "I hope so, because now that you know about it I'll have to kill you. Sorry for the inconvenience," he smirked.

"I'll manage."

We spent the rest of the morning eating our breakfast in the dark with only the light of our wands to guide our hands. It wasn't quite like my tradition, however, it turned out to be the best morning I'd had at Hogwarts. I hope I don't make a habit of this.

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**Jordan, Jordan, Jordan...what will Remus do with you? They are a bit sassy together! I didn't think I would take them there, but hey, it works :).**

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	4. Potions with Gryffindors

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Ugh. There is nothing I hate more than a beautiful fall day wasted on hours spent in the dungeons brewing putrid smelling potions. There weren't even any windows to peek my head out of for a bit of fresh air. I blew a stray strand of hair out of my sweat covered forehead. Attractive.

The thick fog coming from my cauldron was the appropriate puce color. We were making dragon dung fertilizer for Professor Sprout, hence the stench. I looked around me. I was ages ahead of everyone else. I don't know what it was about Potions class, but I got into this zone as soon as Slughorn said to begin brewing. Nothing seemed to stop my flow once I got it going. Fortunately, this left a lot of down time to work on miscellaneous homework assignments. Unfortunately, this also left a lot of down time for Mary and Lily to tease me about working on miscellaneous homework assignments. What great friends; hindering my academic advances purely for their entertainment.

Mary Macdonald and Lily Evans were the two closest things I had to friends besides Apollo. They were both kind, gorgeous, and in Gryffindor. Mary was a tad more vivacious than Lily, yet it was Lily who always had a smile on her face. It was quite unfair how lovely they both were; them hanging around me seemed strange. I was a small, dull star compared to their shining constellations.

I picked up my quill and took out my Transfiguration essay. I only had two more paragraphs to scrawl before I was homework free for the weekend. The noise around me slowly faded out as I reread what I had written so far. Ravenclaws had Potions with Gryffindors, so the class could get pretty loud, pretty quickly. Not in a bad way, just that Gryffindors (or should I say four particular Gryffindors) were known for being rambunctious when class became too class-like. I just put my quill to paper when Mary came over.

"Are you seriously doing homework?" she asked, her tone soaking with disgust.

"Yes, now go away," I replied without looking up. I was kind of joking, kind of not.

"No. Jordan you seriously need to take a break. I promise it won't kill you. Maybe," she said. Of course, she was top form today. Stubborn and temperamental beyond belief. I put down my quill and threw my hands up. I could barely see her through all of the smoke. I did make out her hands on her hips with her thick lips pressed together tightly. Her chestnut hair hung down to the small of her back. She oozed sass.

"Fine, see? Not doing it. Put my quill down and everything."

"Good," she smiled as she sat next to me. "Now, tell me!"

"Tell you what?" I asked. I honestly had no clue what in Merlin's pants she was talking about.

"Apparently there's been some talk amongst the Gryffindor common room concerning you and a certain prefect..." interjected Lily, taking a seat next to Mary.

"What? Who?" I asked, still bewildered.

"Oh, come off it. You know, Remus!" Mary half yelled. I shushed her, but it was too late. Everyone stopped stirring their dragon dung to look at us. Everyone including four boys near the back of the smoggy dungeon: Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin.

I felt my face turn scarlet; the sweat that was there before only amplified as my cauldron continued to blow its hot contents into my face. This was uncomfortable. I was uncomfortable. Lily noticed, thank Merlin, and said, "What? Never seen three girls brewing dragon dung, have you?"

The class shuffled back to work. I let out the biggest sigh of relief for Lily. This was why I liked her so much. Along with her beauty, she knew how to be there for you despite how it made her look. Also, we're both redheads.

"Thank you," I breathed. She nodded and gave me a wink. "As for you," I said, turning to Mary. "What was that about? Do you even know what whispering is?"

"Ha ha. Yes, I know what it is. I just seriously hate it."

That was another thing about Mary. She said seriously way too often.

"Jordan...hate to keep on the topic, but Remus has not broken eye contact with us since I told everyone to shut it. And by us, I mean you," Lily said.

I ventured a glance in his direction. Lily was right. He was staring at me with such force I was surprised I hadn't felt it. I couldn't tell if he was smiling or not. It looked like he was. Merlin knows with all the steam. I smiled back, just in case.

"Ladies, making progress I see!" Professor Slughorn said, snapping me back to reality. "Miss Wilde, yours is just about done, I'd say! And done very well, by the looks of it. Ten points to Ravenclaw."

"Thank you, sir," I replied uninterested. It wasn't uncommon for Slughorn to shower me in house points for otherwise simple tasks. I mean, we've made this potion practically every year, and still every year he would make this grand deal of how top notch my dung was compared to everyone else's.

"Yes, well earned, Miss Wilde, well earned. Keep it up! Miss Macdonald, I believe your dung is burning, best go check on it," he said to Mary. Mary turned around to find the bottom of her cauldron melting. "No!" she said, rushing to correct her (smelly) mistake. That left Lily and I with Slughorn...joy.

"Miss Evans, Miss Wilde, as I'm sure you are well aware, around this time of year I like to gather a group of the top of the top students into what I like to call the Slug Club. Only a few are invited each year; I'm highly selective about the breed of character I keep in my company. You two are perhaps the brightest I have ever taught and I would be delighted if you considered joining," Slughorn said with a smug grin. Lily and I exchanged looks.

"Sir, that is very kind of you to invite us-"

"Excellent, Miss Wilde! I shall see you and Miss Evans in my office, no later than eight o'clock tomorrow evening for our first meeting," the bell rang as Slughorn smiled. "That time already? Don't worry about cleaning up, I'll take care of it," he said to the class. Cheers erupted through the dungeon as they all rushed to get out of the smelly, hot classroom. Lily and I trudged out of there as Slughorn yelled after us, "See you tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow? What's that about?" Mary asked as we all exited the dungeon.

"I guess we are now apart of the Slug Club," I shuddered. There goes my plans for a quiet weekend in the common room.

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**First time seeing Lily & Mary! I think I'm going to like writing Mary...**

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	5. The Slug Club

**We meet again...**

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Saturday went by too quickly for my liking. Before I knew it, it was time for me to abandon my cozy common room and get ready to go to Slughorn's dinner party. Grudgingly, I peered into my trunk for something at least halfway decent to throw on. I picked a plain, cream dress with buttons down the front. Not too dressy, yet just formal enough to give the impression that I gave a damn.

I slipped on a pair of ballet flats with laces that came up to my mid-calf. With a final flick of my wand, I fixed my mane into a bun.

"Good enough," I said, looking into my handheld mirror. Apollo appeared from underneath my bed to give his two cents. He looked me up and down, then retreated back under the bed. I heard him shuffling around; his claws scratched at the floor as he moved. This time when he emerged, he had a necklace clamped between his teeth.

"Where did you get that?" I asked with one eyebrow raised. He let out a rapid breath that said, "Don't worry about it."

I giggled and took the necklace from my mischievous thief of a friend. I put in on; it was actually really lovely. It was all gold with a sun pendant dangling lightly off the chain. Apollo cooed approvingly and scurried back into his cave under the bed.

I glanced at the clock. It was nearly eight! I'd better get a move on.

It took me five minutes to get down to the dungeons where Slughorn's office was. Record time; I would have arrived sooner, but Peeves got in my way on the second floor. Panting, I reached the door to Slughorn's office. The party had already started; the voices of the other students wafted through the heavy wood of the door. With a final smoothing of my skirt, I knocked loudly and was quickly answered by Slughorn.

"Miss Wilde! We started to think you were lost...Welcome, welcome! Do come in, we were just about to sit down to dinner," he greeted with a wide smile. I returned it, stepping into the candle-lit room. My smile remained as I faced the other students in attendance. The faces staring back at me were not ones I was all too familiar with. Most of them were in Slytherin. I could tell by their smug sense of self righteousness. It was practically oozing from their every pore. I panicked when I didn't spot Lily right away. How hard was she to locate? She had bright red hair, for Merlin's sake!

Luckily, I spotted her next to a creepy looking boy with greasy, black hair. They appeared to be bickering with one another. The boy was losing.

"Hiya, Lily. Mind if I sit?" I said, approaching the two of them. The two of them stopped arguing and Lily turned to me showing her wonderful smile.

"Of course not! Sit here, Severus was just leaving," she replied. The boy called Severus opened his mouth to protest, but Lily's eyes suddenly flared. She must not like this boy, which was odd, because Lily liked everyone.

"Yes, I was just going..." Severus said sarcastically. His voice had a bored sort of drawl to it. It suited him.

I grinned in thanks as he emptied the seat. The chair was still warm. That always grossed me out...

"This is fun, huh?" Lily conversed.

"If you think being judged by a group of haughty snakes is fun, then sure. It's a blast."

"Surely they're not all that bad..."

"Let's survey the scene, shall we?" I turned my attention to rest of the room. My eyes scanned to find a prime sample for Lily and I to talk about. "What about blondie over there? Is that a girl?"

Lily laughed, "That's Lucius Malfoy! Real arse, to be honest."

"Who's he talking to?"

"Um...I'm not sure. He looks a LOT like Sirius, though."

"Maybe it's his brother?"

"I didn't know he had a brother," Lily started, but Slughorn cut her off with the clinking of his glass.

"Alright, alright...take your seats! Dinner is served," he said as he sat down at the head of the long table. Lily and I exchanged smirks as the others sat down. We were sat nearer to Slughorn than I would have liked; Lily was directly next to him. However, that did mean that she didn't have to endure someone sitting next to her. I wasn't so lucky. The grubby Severus boy raced to sit next to me, probably so he could get close to Lily. I scooted my chair closer to Lily protectively.

Once everyone took their seats, Slughorn raised his wand and spoke again, "I hope you all brought your stomachs...We've got five courses to get through!"

I let out a too audible groan. Lily kicked me underneath the table. "Ow!"

"Is everything alright, Miss Wilde?" he asked, wand still raised dumbly above his head.

I blushed, "Yes, I'm alright. I just grabbed the pointy end of my fork is all..."

_'Good, make yourself look even more like an idiot,'_ I thought as the Slytherins snickered behind their hands.

"Oh, yes, careful of that," Slughorn said, looking at me like I had two heads. "Now, where was I? Oh! yes, dinner."

He finished his wand movement, conjuring a whole kitchen's worth of food onto the table. My embarrassment quickly melted away as I pondered what to eat first...Muffins! There were muffins! Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad after all. Only if they were blueberry, though.

I hungrily reached for a muffin. Slughorn was chattering away with the Lily. I wasn't paying attention much. My mind was on the delicious muffin about to pass through my lips. I smacked my lips as I opened my mouth to take a giant bite.

"And what about you, Miss Wilde?" Slughorn asked. I froze, the muffin half in my mouth. 'Why? Just, why?' I thought. I slowly retracted the muffin from my jaws.

"What about me, what?" I asked. I wanted to die. The laughs from the other students were no longer hidden behind their hands.

"What do your parents do? I understand you are Muggle-born like Miss Evans?"

"Oh, yes, I am. My mother is a librarian and my father is a biologist."

"I see...now what does a biologist do? Is it a dangerous profession?" he asked in an excited whisper.

"He deals with plants mostly...like a herbologist," I answered quietly. I heard Severus let out a heavy breath next to me. What was his problem? I was the one getting probed, not him.

"Very well, thank you Miss Wilde," Slughorn said, a bit disappointed. "Regulus, tell me, how is the rest of your family?"

The boy that was talking to Lucius Malfoy earlier lifted his head from his plate.

"Fine, sir," he answered. He sounded bored, like he was just asked about the weather.

"And your brother, Sirius? I bet his sorting into Gryffindor stirred things up in the old Black household, eh?" Slughorn laughed wheezily. Regulus only nodded, then went back to his food.

"That would never stand in my household, Professor. Father would have disowned me right then and there," Lucius arrogantly chimed in. I snuck a look at Lily, who was grinning into her lap trying to stifle her laughter with her napkin. I had to fight the urge to laugh out loud.

"Yes, Lucius, I don't doubt that! How is your father?"

"Very well, sir. He just returned from a trip to Paris with my mother..."

I tuned Lucius and his flowing blond tresses out; something much more interesting caught my eye. The door to Slughorn's office was slowly creeping open. A flicker of light trailed across the stone ground. The rest of the table didn't even notice; they were too engrossed in Malfoy's thrilling tale of his parents' trip to France. I poked Lily on the leg. She shooed my hand away. I did it again, this time she gave me a quick slap.

'Fine, be bored. I'm going to investigate,' I thought. I tried hard to make my movements nonchalant, but it was hard to see around Severus' large head. Pushing my chair slightly backwards, I craned my neck around his greasy hair. It really was disgusting.

The light was still only a sliver, but now there was a strange shadow bouncing in and out of view. It was a hand! Five fingers, wiggling about like little worms. They were waving! A strange hand was waving at me!

The hand suddenly disappeared, and in its place the outline of a wand came into view. I saw a swish, then a flick.

"What the devil is going on here?" Slughorn exclaimed. "Who is doing this?"

All of the food on the table was floating a few feet above the pristine tablecloth. My jaw dropped, and mine was not the only one.

"Sir, whoever is doing this should get points deducted! Or better yet, a detention," Lucius said, pointing his icy eyes in my direction.

"Why are you looking at me? I'm not doing this!"

"Don't lie, you filthy, little Mudbl-"

Splat! A plate of pasta flew straight into Lucius' face, covering him in tomato sauce. I let out a boom of a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand. Lily sat with her jaw on the floor, too stunned to make a sound.

It wasn't over yet. After the first plate was launched, all of the others followed suit; each one taking aim at a different Slytherin dunderhead. It was magnificent. The girls were screaming, the boys were trying to tackle the flying china with their fists. There was a soft whistle coming from the door. The hand was waving at me again, however, this time it was telling me to follow it. Glancing back at the chaotic table, I realized that this hand had a given me an out! Thank Merlin! I got out of my chair without a sound. Everyone was too busy trying to fend off the wild food to even notice the clumsy Ravenclaw girl slip out the door.

I closed the door on my way out, anxious to see who my savior was. I turned on the spot to see...no one. No one, but a note on the floor.

"Curious..." I whispered, picking it up. The paper was crumpled up before whoever left it wrote on it, so it was soft to my touch.

In hurried writing this message was scrawled: You owe me. You can make your payment tomorrow at Hagrid's Hut, 9 p.m. sharp.

Payment? What on earth could that mean? Whatever it was, would be worth it.

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	6. Hidden Hero

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My nerves were getting the best of me as Sunday rolled by. Who would sabotage Slughorn's dinner party for me? Well, I know who might have. Remus. I don't know why he would risk getting caught for something like that...and for a girl he hardly knew! It didn't make sense. Regardless, my gut said it was him.

Night fell (finally) as I got ready to face my mystery hero. I decided functionality over fashion, slipping on my trustee, old jeans in green. Collecting my hair on the top of my head, I put my red curls into a bun. There would be no messing around tonight, only serious mystery solving.

It was nearly nine; fifteen minutes till. I had just enough time to make it to Hagrid's. I grabbed my coat and put it on. Apollo, the snake that he was, darted from under the bed and into my large pocket.

"And where do you think you're going?" I said to my furry friend. He poked his little nose out of my pocket and licked my hand. That bugger, too cute for his own good. I patted his head, "Fine, you can come, but only if you keep hidden."

Apollo nipped my fingers in thanks, then stuck his head back into his hidey-hole. "You're lucky I like you."

My stomach had butterflies as I made my way down to the entrance hall. I hated being out of bed after hours. I've only done it two other times: Once when I was in first year, because I got lost on my way to the Ravenclaw tower; and then again in my fifth year when I accidently...uh...forgot my wand in Charms class...To my defense, we were taking a theory test and  
we didn't use our wands, so naturally, I set it down and when the bell rang I grabbed my quill instead of my wand. I passed that one with flying colors, let me tell you.

Fortunately for me, there seemed to be lax security around the castle tonight, so I made it outside with no interuption. It was cold out; I could feel Apollo shift in my pocket to huddle himself closer to me. There were no lights on at Hagrid's, which struck me to be a bit odd. Now the Hogwarts gamekeeper and I never really had much of a rapport, however, I could always see a faint fire from the Ravenclaw tower until at least ten o'clock. Needless to say, I approached the hut more timidly than I had originally planned.

Taking each step with care I tiptoed around the pumpkin patch to the edge of the forest. I heard a whistle; I stopped dead. The whistle came again, this time I turned my head to where it was coming from. A shadowed figure poked its head out from Hagrid's window. "Psssst!" it said. My legs turned to jello. Not because I was scared, but because who in there right mind would sneak into Hagrid's hut and make all that tremendous noise? Surely it would wake him!

"Hey! You! Get over here!" the voice whispered loudly.

"You get over here!" I replied in the same tone, but with a bit more sass.

"We don't have time for games...get over here, or else I'll race up to the castle and tell Peeves that Jordan Wilde is out of bed."

I pursed my lips and let out a small growl. My inner fox was getting the better of me. "Fine, I'm coming," I said.

"Hurry up!" the voice said. 'Don't you tell me to hurry up. I'll go at my own pace, thank you very much, and if that means crawling over there, then so be it!' I thought angrily. Unfortunately, I was too obedient to follow through on my thoughts. I quickened my step like a good little fox.

The window was only cracked open, but I could see the silhouette of whoever was whispering to me. It wasn't Remus, that I was sure of. His hair was too long.

"That's a girl. Now stay there...I'm coming out," he said.

"That's a girl? Did you really just-"

"Don't get your knickers in a twist. It's just an expression. God, why Moony has a thing for you, I'll never know," he said, exiting the dark hut.

"Who is Moony? More presently, who are you?"

The steps leading to the front door creaked as the mystery hero (now mystery tosser) sauntered down the stairs. I waited with my arms crossed across my chest, one eyebrow cocked. I tried not to let my nerves show, but I could feel my fingers shaking against my arm. Apollo sensed I was uneasy. His head peeped through my pocket and he growled at the shadow approaching me.

"What is that thing?"

"Never mind...just hurry up."

"Lumos!" the figure said. The tip of his wand illuminated, revealing the face behind the voice. I was right about the long hair. It was jet black and touched his shoulders. His nose was incredibly regal; his eyes were dark, full of a mischievous sparkle. Actually, he was quite handsome...and he looked strangely familiar...

"Don't recognize me, do you?" he smiled.

"No, sorry," I replied, not very sorry at all. Handsomeness aside, he still bossed me around.

"Sirius Black. Perhaps you've heard of me? I'm a friend of your pet, Remus."

"Remus isn't my pet!" I growled, so did Apollo. He was insulted that Sirius suggested someone else was my pet.

"Oh? What is he then?"

"He's a friend..."

"Ha! Right, a 'friend'," he mocked. "I'll have to tell him you said that."

"Hate to change the subject...well not really, but do you mean to tell me that YOU were the one that put on that gaudy spectacle last night?"

"You didn't think it was gaudy when you thought Remus-"

"Forget I asked," I interrupted. "Fine, it was you. Thank you for getting me out of that. Now, I'll just be going," I rushed, taking a step back to the castle.

"No, no, no," Sirius said, pointing his wand in my direction. "You still need to pay me."

"Are you serious?"

"Very."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this," I said to myself. "Fine, what do you want?"

"You could have asked nicely, but I'll forgive you," he said. I rolled my eyes again and thought, 'Oh my Merlin, what an arse.'

"I will be taking you into the forest to retrieve something I lost. I need another pair of eyes."

"Why couldn't you ask one of your band of misfits?"

"I would, but what I lost isn't something I completely own...we share it, you see. And if they knew I lost it..," he stressed with a guilty look. "They would probably kill me."

"Figures, you being irresponsible...can't picture that happening."

"You don't even know me! How can you be sure that I'm irresponsible?"

I pretended to think hard about his question. "Hmm, maybe because instead of coming clean about losing whatever it is you lost, you decided to prank Slughorn's dinner party, go out of the castle after hours, and bring a girl you don't even know to search in the FORBIDDEN Forest in the dead of night! Call it a hunch, but I'd say that makes a pretty irresponsible chap, wouldn't you?"

Sirius didn't respond, but gave me a wicked glare as he walked past me and into the forest. I faltered; I could run back up to the castle. My mind was telling me to head back, but my legs had other plans. I followed Sirius into the trees.

"So, what are we looking for?" I asked, trotting up next to him.

"Spare bit of parchment," he said without emotion.

I stopped walking and gaped at him. My mouth opened and closed, struggling to find words appropriate enough to express my bewilderment.

"What?" he asked with puppy dog eyes. That absolute dog! He was making a fool of me!

"What do you mean 'what'! Do you really expect to find a spare bit of parchment in the freaking forest!"

"I have an idea of where it is...I just need someone to help me look."

"Why is this parchment so important that you need to go find it?"

Sirius turned away from me and continued on his path. I ran after him; I was not letting this go. Could he really think that what he was doing was in any way intelligent? I mean, I heard he was reckless, but going into the forest for a piece of paper?

"Um, hello? Why is this paper so important?"

"None of your business."

"I believe it is my business!"

"How is it possibly any of your business?" he questioned, venomously.

"Again, YOU'RE the one that wanted MY help! I would like to know why I'm risking expulsion for some paper!"

"It isn't-" he half shouted. He took a breath and started again, "It isn't just paper. I can't tell you what it is, alright? It's a secret. Stop asking...I do feel bad about asking you to do this, just so you know."

"Really?" I said, wishing I hadn't gotten so angry with him. I got a better look at his face; he looked sad. It was obvious he wouldn't have asked me if what he was looking for wasn't important, I just wish I had seen that before I shouted at him.

"Really. I don't mind getting my friends in trouble, I mean they're normally right along with me. I would hate for you to get in trouble for my recklessness. From what I've heard, you aren't exactly the type that gets into troublesome situations."

"Who told you that? I mean you aren't wrong..."

He laughed from his gut. "Remus. He's had his eye on you for longer than you realize. He thinks you're...oh, what was it? Ah, I can't remember," he trailed off. We walked in silence for the remainder of our journey. That was fine by me. I was thinking about what Remus could have said about me. It was odd to think someone I'd never really spoken to had an opinion of me, and a strong one, at that. Before I got too caught up in my thoughts, Sirius put out his arm to stop me.

"Here. I'm pretty sure this is where I dropped it," he said. I started looking around my feet, trying to spot a flicker of parchment.

"Does it have writing on it?" I asked, rummaging through a pile of leaves.

"Uh...maybe."

I stopped rummaging to give Sirius a look. He shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry."

"Whatever...I'll just keep...OH! Wait a second! Can't you just magic it to you?"

"If I could, do you think I would have drug you out here?"

"You're trying to make this difficult, aren't you?" I teased. I could hear Sirius laugh a ways off.

Apollo popped out of my pocket and padded onto the cold grass. He button nose was raised to smell the air. "What's up, Lo?"

"Who are you talking to?"

"Sirius, meet Apollo. Apollo, meet Sirius," I said like a housewife introducing her husband to one of the girls she got her hair done with. Apollo barked in hello, then went back to sniffing.

"Why do you have a fox?" Sirius asked.

"It's a secret," I mused with a sly grin.

"Touché."

Apollo ran up to me and tapped me with his paw. With his nose, he pointed towards a large willow with rotted branches.

"What is it?" I asked. Lo scurried his lean body underneath a root, disappearing into a space between the trunk and the ground.

"What's it doing?"

"He. His name's Apollo, and he's probably looking for your paper."

"Parchment," he corrected.

"Whatever," I said. It was fun to annoy Sirius; he got angry at all the right times. A rustling came from under the tree. Apollo resurfaced, with a something in his mouth.

"Apollo! What a good boy! Thank you," I praised as Apollo trotted back to me proudly. I took the parchment from his mouth and lifted him into my arms, giving him lots of pettings. I noticed the paper. It was quite literally a spare bit of parchment. The edges were grubby from the dirt, but other than that it didn't seem too special. Sirius snatched it out of my hands when I tried to open it up.

"Thank you," he quipped. "I'll be keeping this in my possession from now on."

He reached out to pet Lo, a mistake I didn't feel like warning him about. Lo snapped his miniature dagger-like teeth at his fingers. Sirius retracted his hand.

"Hey! Watch yourself, flea bag. I'll make a scarf of you."

I giggled with Apollo curling into my arms, growling. I started walking out of the forest. Sirius followed behind. The trip back was much lighter than the trip to. It had to be well past midnight. I would be sorry in the morning.

We reached the edge of the forest; Hagrid's hut came into view. His lights were on now. That couldn't be good. Sirius read my mind.

"We'll go around..." he suggested, tugging on my coat. I nodded and held Apollo closer to my chest. We creeped around the pumpkins, careful not to make any noise. The door to Hagrid's opened; we froze. Scenarios were running in and out of my head, and none of them were good. I thought of what it would feel like to have to pack my bags and leave Hogwarts forever...that gave me the shivers. Sirius tapped my shoulder, put a finger to his lips, and motioned for me to continue forward. With wide eyes, I nodded swiftly. My steps were light and slow as I continued around the pumpkin patch. I thought Sirius would follow me, but he didn't. Instead, he was walking straight up to door!

I tried to get his attention. He turned to look at me and mouthed, "Go!" Was he trying to get expelled?

Even though I was against it, I kept going anyway. He knew what he was doing, surely. He's been in and out of trouble since his first day. I, on the other hand, never had so much as a stern talking to. Sirius knew this, which I why I felt so sure that I should follow his instructions.

Then again, maybe I shouldn't have, because apparently his master plan was to shout at the top of his lungs, then run like a mad man in the opposite direction of me. Fang barked from inside the hut. Hagrid burst through the open door with Dumbledore not far behind.

'Oh, Merlin,' I thought, deciding to run to the castle doors. I pushed all of my body weight onto the wood, forcing them open. I didn't stop running until I was four flights up. I paused to catch my breath. Apollo bounded out of my arms, annoyed by the jostling he received. I let him go...I had more pressing matters currently. I had to retrieve my lungs from the floor. I was really out of shape.

"Fancy seeing you here," I heard behind me. I turned around, wincing.

"Hi, Remus..," I sighed. I was, for lack of a better word, screwed.

"Do I even ask?" he smiled. He looked at me pityingly, like I was a child that got into the cookie jar before dinner.

"Nah..."

He nodded, "I'll just take you to your common room."

He held out his arm for me to take. I slipped my hand through timidly. He escorted me back to Ravenclaw tower; we didn't say a word. When we reached the entrance, he paused before letting go of my arm.

"Jordan...I hate to do this, but I have to give you some sort of punishment," he said carefully. I knew this was coming. I had hoped by some twist of fate he would forget that it was nearly one in the morning.

"I know. Just be gentle, will you."

He laughed, "How about, I take fifty points from Ravenclaw and you don't get detention," he started. I tried to protest, but he held up his hand. "Or, I take five points and you have to spend detention with me. It's your choice."

I bit my lip. Some choices. Either have my whole house hate me, or tarnish my perfect record. At least my detention would be with Remus...wait, no! Bad, Jordan! Don't think like that! You can not develop anything with this boy! Not after...

I shook myself out of it. I had made up my mind.

"I'll take the detention."

"Excellent," Remus smiled. "Now, go to bed. I'm sure you'll be needing the shut eye. Goodnight," he said, bowing his head like a proper gentleman.

"Goodnight," I replied. "Don't like the pixies bite."

His scarred face contorted into a warm smile that lit his whole face up. That boy was like sunshine on a rainy day. He walked away with that smile still on his face.

I answered the riddle to get me into the common room. I was exhausted. I didn't waste any time with taking off my coat; I just thrust myself down onto my bed with the covers still on. The final thought I had in my head before I drifted off into darkness was something Sirius had said to me: "He's had his eye on you for longer than you realize..."

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**Detention for Jordan! Scandalous! **

**At least it's with Remus ;P**

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**Question to think about: What do you think Jordan's detention will be? **


	7. Greatest Fear

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A week had gone by since my excursion in the woods with Sirius. I tried my hardest to focus on my school work, but in the back of my mind I couldn't stop thinking about my detention. Remus scheduled it for Friday after Potions, so we could go straight from class to my doom. I wish that he wouldn't have; Mary and Lily would tease me to no end. Not to mention Sirius would probably throw in his two cents.

Ever since that night, Sirius had become more vocal about me to Remus. Whenever Sirius would tease Remus, he would go as red as his tie and keep his head down over his cauldron. It made me feel tremendously bad for him, and for myself. Everyone seemed to be involved with Remus and I...it was weird. In all my seven years at Hogwarts, people would normally struggle to remember my name and now, all of a sudden, they all knew my most personal business! Not that Remus was MY business...but, you know what I mean.

Potions trudged along slowly, as usual. Luckily, Slughorn hadn't realized I ditched his dinner party in the ruckus of food flinging. Unluckily, he wants me to be an official member of the Slug Club. Merlin knows why...

The bell rung; doom was creeping upon me. I looked at Mary and Lily with fearful, pleading eyes. They laughed at me. Such great friends I had. I put my books into my bag as slow as I could to prolong the inevitable. Apparently, that simple task was asking too much of my hands, as I dropped my entire bag onto the floor. Sighing, I bent to pick up all of my fallen things.

"Need a hand?"

I peered up to see Remus standing over me with his crooked grin lightly sitting on his lips. His scars deepened from the angle I was viewing him.

"Yes, please," I said. Remus held out his hand.

"Here you go," he giggled, so pleased with himself for making that pun.

"I hate you so much."

He laughed outright. I tried not to smile, but his laugh was so infectious. "Okay, I don't hate you. But, I don't like you right now."

"Hopefully you'll change your mind, 'cause you'll be spending all evening with me."

"Goodie...and what sort of hell have you conjured up for me?"

"It's not too bad, actually. I can't tell you, though. Not until we get there," he smirked.

"What is it with you not telling me where we're going?"

"I like watching you squirm," Remus answered, helping me off the ground. His hands were so warm despite how chilly it was in the dungeon. I dusted myself off and went to sling my bag over my shoulder. Remus held up his hand to stop me, reaching for it himself. He grabbed it, took out his wand, then tapped the leather material. It shrunk to the size of a thimble.

"So you don't have to carry it around with you," he answered to my confused stare.

"What if I told you my wand was in there?" I mused.

"Then I'd say you should have warned me. Although, I know for a fact that you keep your wand on your person at all times."

"How do you know that?"

"You left your wand in Flitwick's room fifth year. I was just awarded the role of prefect and was patrolling the corridors when I saw you run up there. I overheard you explain to Flitwick that you'd kept your wand in your pocket ever since you got it," explained Remus with his hands in his pockets, eyes glued to the floor. I smiled at him. He really had been keeping an eye on me, hadn't he? I didn't know whether to be flattered or concerned.

He blushed before shaking it off. "Anyway, let's go. We've got some business to attend to," he said. We left the Potions classroom grinning like two idiots.

Remus was moving quickly; much quicker than I wanted to go up fifteen flights of changing staircases. We went past every classroom, every teacher's office, every room I had ever occupied. It wasn't until we reached the twentieth floor that we finally entered a room.

It was empty except for wardrobe in the middle of the room. Tattered and chipping, its doors were sealed shut with a heavy-duty, brass lock. It had to be ten feet tall; ornate patterns scattered over the upper and lower crests of the old, cherry wood. If it didn't shake every few seconds, I would have liked it in my bedroom.

"Nice, isn't it?" Remus whispered in my ear. I nodded, but jumped a little when it gave a heavy shake. His hot breath ruffled my hair as he laughed softly.

"It does have a pretty nasty tenant, though," he said, walking over to the chest of drawers. He rested his hand on its side and fiddled with the lock. "What we're here to do, is evict the bugger."

"What exactly is the bugger?"

"A boggart."

_'Oh no, not a boggart. Anything but a boggart,'_ I thought. I gulped involuntarily; like my heart jumped into my throat and I had to force it back down.

"Is there a problem?"

"Um...no, no problem. I don't like boggarts, that's all."

"I would have been worried if you did," he smiled. "I assume you know the spell to get rid of one?"

"Riddikulus."

"Exactly," he said as the wardrobe bounced on its feet. "Best get to it, then. Wand out," commanded Remus, taking out his own wand. He pointed it at the lock and said, "Alohomora!" The lock fell to the ground and the doors swung open.

I stood my ground confidently; however, on the inside I was falling to pieces. I wasn't ready to face it. Not now, not here, not in front of Remus. What would he think when he saw what I was most afraid of? He wouldn't look at me the same, that's for sure. My knees chattered, and my knuckles whitened as I gripped my wand with unbelievable strength.

The boggart crept out of the open doors in a mist of silvery fog. It poured out onto the ground like a waterfall. Remus watched as it flowed from the wardrobe to the tips of my shoes. A single tear fell down my cheek as I prepared myself for the rest of my greatest fear.

A figure floated towards me forbiddingly. It was a boy. No older than eleven. He wore glasses, but the glass was shattered in its frames. Tiny shards poked out dangerously close to his haunting, gray eyes. Water dripped from his clothes, which were hanging heavy on his small stature from the weight of the water. He held out his hand for me to take, his voice echoed, "Help me..."

I lost all control of my body. I tried to utter the spell, but my voice caught in my throat. I began to tremble uncontrollably, my wand fell from my hand. I just wanted it to stop. I wanted it all to stop. The ringing in my ears, the voices in my head. I fell to the ground with my hands in my hair. The cold was taking me in and drowning me...

Then as quickly as it came, the cold stopped. I picked up my head to see Remus standing in front of me, taking the full attention of the boggart. My demon disappeared to reveal Remus'. I didn't look close enough at it to see what it was; there were too many tears clouding my vision.

"I think we've done enough," he whispered, sitting on the floor with me. He must have gotten rid of the boggart, because it was just us again. I was so distraught I didn't even here him dispose of it.

"I'm sorry," he uttered. My lower lip shook as I met his eyes. I could read the guilt on his face. It was all too much; I burst into tears at the sight of his concerned gaze.

"Don't cry, please. I'll do whatever you want, just please...don't cry," he said, holding me in his arms. I couldn't stop, as hard as I tried I couldn't keep the salty drops from pushing through my lashes.

I don't know how long we sat there. All I know is that it was dark by the time Remus took me back to the common room. He didn't ask me questions, nor did he try and cheer me up. He took my hand and held it until I answered the riddle to open the door to my warm bed. It was then he finally spoke.

"Jordan...I don't want you to think..," he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "It wasn't my intention to put you in that position. If I could take it back, I would. There is nothing in this world worse than knowing that I caused you such sadness...and I thought I was being clever," he ended with a forced grin. He was trying to cheer me up. I sniffled a grin and giggle, but with great difficulty.

"It wasn't your fault. How could you have known what my boggart was going to be...I bet you figured it was spiders or something," I teased morbidly.

"I did, actually," he more naturally laughed. Opening his arms, he took my body into his. I willingly accepted his embrace as I reached my arms around his middle. I felt him leave a soft kiss on my forehead before letting me go. He stroked my cheek as a final good night.

I wasted no time getting into my bed. Apollo must of sensed me coming; he was already laying in his spot in between the sheets. I laid down next to him without even changing my clothes. Lo licked the tears off my face as they fell.  
I fell asleep to his breathing.

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**Oh no! Poor Jordan :( **

**What do you think she'll do? Will forgive Remus? Will she tell him her secret fears? Leave a review! Tell me what you think!**

**Also, what would your boggart be? I'm curious...mine would probably be myself o.O**


	8. Stolen

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The castle didn't have as much charm as it used to after my brutal encounter with that boggart. Around every corner, I had to slither a peek to make sure the phantom in my mind didn't make a special appearance. Bags of deep purple collected under my eyes from sleep deprivation. My mind was haunted with nightmares of the silvery boy.

Classes became a chore as the weeks drudged on. I barely left the common room, and the only time I did was when I had to go to class. I hadn't spoken to Remus either. He's tried, of course, but I run away before he can say anything. It's too humiliating; facing him would absolutely ruin any self-esteem I had left.

It was October, and October meant we could go to Hogsmeade if we had our form signed. I normally didn't care about visiting the quaint town just outside the castle walls, but Apollo was getting restless being cooped up in the dormitory all day and night, so I thought I'd let come down to the Three Broomsticks with me.

The group was scheduled to leave at three; it was two forty-five. "I need to invest in a watch or something. This being late everywhere I go is for the birds," I said out loud. Apollo scampered over to me happily. He was so ready to leave the stuffy bedroom. Dancing around my legs, he nipped excitedly at my fingers.

"Easy, Lo!" I giggled, taking a fox-sized hat of my drawer. "Come here, I've got to put this on you."

Apollo stopped prancing momentarily so I could put on his hat. He quickly licked my nose in thanks, then bounded to the door, clawing at it with his front paws.

"Yes, alright, we're going!" I said with my own hat now on. I grabbed my bag, somewhat hesitantly. The day after Remus and mine's detention, I left the common room to find my bag outside the door with a note from Remus on top. Saved me a lot of trouble, mind. If he hadn't given it back to me, I would have had to buy all new things, because obviously going back to ask for them was out of the question. The note lay on my dresser next to my bed. Without thinking, I grabbed both my bag and the note, and hurried out the door with Lo on my heels.  
+ We made it to the courtyard with seconds to spare. Professor McGonagall was collecting forms at the front of a large group of students; third years, mostly. I could tell by the dewy, excited looks on their faces from the anticipation of going to Hogsmeade for the first time. I envied them.

"Good afternoon, Miss Wilde," she said curtly nodding in hello, to me and Apollo. Apollo bowed his head in return.

"Good afternoon, Professor," I replied with a smile. I always liked McGonagall best even though Transfiguration wasn't my strongest subject. Don't get me wrong, I still had the highest grade in my year, but I preferred Charms.

"You've got your form, I presume."

"I do indeed," I said, rummaging my bag for the slip of paper with my parents signatures. My hand searched and searched, however, it came up empty every time.

"Professor...I'm so sorry, it was just here! I've had it in my bag since my parents signed it over the summer so I wouldn't lose it!" I panicked, now throwing my books out of my rucksack to get a better look inside. Nothing. Where in Merlin's pants could it have gone!?

"Miss Wilde, I'm sorry, but without a form I'm afraid you can't go to town. Those are the rules. If you would like, I could take your fox and let him roam around, but that's the best I can do," McGonagall sympathized. I sighed with pursed lips and nodded.

"If you wouldn't mind...he's been getting a bit stir crazy in that tower," I said, then turning to Apollo I got down on his level. "Lo, McGonagall is going to take you to town. Behave yourself, that means no stealing. I'll see you in a few hours."

Apollo licked my nose, then hustled over to McGonagall, careful not to sit on her cloak. He could be polite when he wanted to be.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

"Thank you, Professor."

She smiled a small, sad grin, leading the group of students outside of the gates with Lo trotting alongside her. He looked back at me; I waved to him. In return he stood up on his back paws and did a sort of kick with one of his fronts. I laughed at the awkward movement and watched as he scurried away.

When they were out of viewing distance, my whole brain dedicated itself to retracing my steps to find that form. There was no way I'd lost it. Impossible. I don't lose things...most things...okay, things that are important. But I knew for a fact that I had not moved that form from my bag since my parents signed it, specifically because I knew if I did move it, I would lose it.

I racked my brain as I walked back into the castle. Did it fall out of my bag on the way down? I made my way to the staircases to check. Nothing. Okay, what about the last class I was in? I went down to the dungeons. Nothing. Where could it have gone?!

"Pssst!"

I whipped my head around to see if the noise came from who I thought it came from. Low and behold, Sirius was smirking at me from the corner leaning coolly against the stone wall. Great, icing on the cake. I did not need him stirring the cauldron right now.

"What do you want, Black?" I scoffed, annoyed at his presence.

"You call me Black now? What's the change, Wilde?" he teased pushing himself off the wall with his muscly shoulder. I couldn't help but notice that they were on display more than usual. He was wearing a wife-beater tank top with the Muggle band, The Rolling Stones on the front. He strode over to me with slow, heavy steps in his combat boots, smiling all the way.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?"

"Because I know where your form is..." he said in a sing-song voice. My jaw dropped angrily.

"What the hell do you mean? How did you know my-"

"Shh," he annoyingly hushed. "Follow me."

"No! I'm not going anywhere with you until you explain to me how-" I started to shout, however, midway through my sentence my voice disappeared. Sirius stood with his wand pointed at me grinning like a madman.

"I said, shh. Now come on...we've got to move quickly," he said, turning around cockily. I stomped my foot into the ground forcefully. That didn't seem to bother the absolute dog that hexed me, as he continued on out of the dungeon. I had no choice but to follow him.

We rounded corner after corner, passed painting after painting, all the while Sirius whistled cheerfully and I pouted in silence. Every minute or so, I would let out a large breath of air through my nose to announce my displeasure at the situation. He was more or less kidnapping me for Merlin's sake! Surely you would be displeased if you were in my situation, handsome captor or not.

"Just a bit longer, then I'll let you talk...by the way, did you read that note Moony left on your bag?" he conversed casually, turning his head to look at me. I ignored him with my nose turned up and my eyes closed snobbishly. He laughed sarcastically, "Fine...suit yourself. I'm trying to make civil conversation, but if you want to act like a child, then that's your problem."

I shot him a dirty look. _'Dick,_' I thought, rather untastefully. I rarely ever swore, but Sirius Black made me so unlike myself that I felt like I had no other choice.

We slowed down some; I began to recognize where Sirius had taken me. It was the one-eyed witch that Remus had taken me to when we went on our little adventure at the beginning of the year. How many people knew about this place, or was it a coincidence?

"Final stop, you can talk now," he said, pointing his wand back at me. My throat got heavy all of a sudden, like something had just laid all its luggage down on a weak bench.  
I opened my mouth to test my voice. "Ahhh," I uttered under my breath. Deciding that it was safe, I tried a sentence, "You complete arse. I could report you for that."

"Ah, but you won't...because I have what you want," he mocked as he tapped the hump of the witch. "Dissendium."

Was I the only one who didn't know about this creepy statue?!

"Give me my form. I'm done messing about. I don't have time for this," I spat. Sirius rolled his eyes and opened the passage. "Alright, alright...here you go."

He moved out the way of the opening to reveal Remus, shyly waiting with a queer look about his face. In his trembling hands he held a piece of folded up paper.

"Hi, Jordan..."

My day could not get any worse. Why on earth was Remus standing in the doorway of a secret passage that I just became aware of last month, holding my lost (now stolen) Hogsmeade form? And looking sorry for it, to boot. Welcome, to the confusing chaos that is my life.

"Remus, you had better have a good reason for having that piece of paper in your hands," I pressed, my arms folded across my chest. I tried to look as intimidating as possible, but ended up looking more like a bunny with its nose scrunched. Hardly stress inducing.

"Jordan, I can explain-" he started timidly before I cut him off.

"What is wrong with you? What made you think this was okay? Stealing my form...hiding out...having your dog of a friend come and fetch me...what next, Remus?"

"I-"

"You, what? What, Remus? If you think that this was a good way to get my attention, well, here I am! You've got me! Now what?"

My volume rose with every word; and with those words Remus shrunk deeper and deeper into the dark behind him. His scarred face appeared to be more worn than usual, like he hadn't slept in days. Sirius watched with his hands in his pockets and his sullen eyes to the floor. I felt my face grow hot into a vivid blush.

"I'm here now, so say what you have to say!" I shouted. The boys stayed quiet for a very, _very _long minute. Finally, Remus picked up his head to speak.

"I know this wasn't the way to go about doing this...believe me, if there was another way to get your attention I would have, but you didn't leave me much of a choice. Please," he said, putting up his hand to stop me from interrupting. "Please, let me finish. I'm sorry for taking your form, truly I am. I didn't think you would react so harshly..."

"No, Moony, you did. You knew how upset she would be. If it wasn't for me egging you on we wouldn't be here right now," Sirius uttered humbly. His eyes plagued with pain, his face crinkled into a mess of grief.

"I let you talk me into it. We wouldn't have gone through with it if I didn't really want to."

"Hate to break up the love fest, but you still owe me an explanation," I spat. I was in that weird in between stage of anger where you knew you _should_ still be upset, but you weren't, really.

"Of course," Remus said, turning his full attention back to me. "But, can we perhaps go somewhere a bit more discrete? I don't know about you, but three students hanging around an old statue is a sign for suspicion in my book."

"Fine, where?"

"Three Broomsticks, maybe?" Sirius suggested. I nodded in agreement. _'He's suggesting the Three Broomsticks so I won't be allowed to shout,'_ I brooded.

Remus led the way through the passage, his wand lit in front of him. No one talked for the whole way. It felt like we were walking for ages until we finally reached the end of the line. On the ceiling of the corridor was a trapdoor. Remus pulled it down, revealing a rope ladder. He moved out of the way to let me up first. Sorry, Remus. You can't make up for stealing by being a gentleman. Although, that didn't mean I couldn't take full advantage of his accentuated politeness. I took hold of the ladder and climbed, careful to keep my delicacies hidden from the two others in my company.

All around my head, boxes piled atop of one another blocked my view of the room I was half in. I pulled myself out of the trapdoor completely; the boxes didn't seem nearly as tall as when I was looking up at them. I read the outsides while I waited for Remus and Sirius. _'Zonko's Joke Shop,'_ it read in faded, orange letters. The statue led to Hogsmeade! How did Remus and Sirius know about this?

"We'll explain later, right now we need to get out of here without being seen," Remus whispered in my ear. How did he always know what I was thinking!?

Sirius traveled to the front of our little pack; his face was set. I wasn't sure if I wanted him leading us. The last time I trusted him to be in charge, he ran screaming up and down the grounds with Hagrid and Dumbledore hot on his tail. I guess it did have the desired effect...however, it gave my nerves a nasty shock.

Leading us up the creaky steps, he opened the door to reveal a wild concoction of sounds and sights. The shop was in full swing, it seemed; Fizzing Whizbees whirled around the ceiling, the smell of Peppermint Imps wafted into our faces, and all around excited students peered into fantastic display cases. It would be easy to go unnoticed.

We casually walked out of the back room, closing the door behind us. Nobody noticed as we swerved through the crowds to the autumn glazed street. The Three Broomsticks was just a bit down the road. Still in silence, we made our way over.

It was packed, as usual. Remus still managed to find us a table out of the way of most of the crowd. We all sat down awkwardly. After another moment of quiet, Sirius looked between Remus and I.

"I'll get drinks," he said, shuffling back out of the seat he just inhabited._ 'No, dear Merlin, don't leave us alone!'_ I panicked in my mind. Remus had the same kind of look on his face as his friend, and only life line, left for the bar.

"So, your explanation," he said uncomfortably. "Did you read my letter?"

"Um..," I glanced down at my shoes, "No...I didn't."

"Oh...well, would you mind?" his voice cracked sadly. Oh, shit, what a horrible person I was. I didn't even care about his explanation at that point. The way he was looking at me made me want to jump off a bridge.

"Sure," I uttered, taking the note out of my pocket. The folded up parchment felt light in my hands. Delicately, I unfolded it and began to read:

_Jordan,  
I forgot to give you your bag back last night. I guess in the madness it slipped my mind. So much for being chivalrous...  
I wanted you to know that I am deeply sorry for what happened. I know I told you that already, but I can't bear to see you so hurt. I couldn't sleep last night from worry about how you were doing. You may think it silly of me, however, my happiness depends wholly upon you. That being said, you also must know that I will never judge you for your fears. Believe me, you have no idea the fears I face each and every day. My only hope is that you accept my apology and that you accept my willingness to embrace the darkest parts of you.  
~Remus_

My eyes welled with tears as I read the last line of the beautiful letter. What a fool I was for avoiding him all those weeks. Here he was tossing and turning with worry, all the while I felt it necessary to cut him out of my life. How could I be so ignorant? So arrogant? To think that this was all about me, that this whole affair was completely one-sided...I made myself sick.

"Remus, I...I don't know what to say. I-I'm s-so s-sorry," I whispered with tears flowing freely down my cheeks. I wiped some of them away until Remus reached over and did it himself. I could see in his eyes that he was relieved.

"Don't be sorry," he comforted. "You were only trying to protect yourself. Don't cry," he giggled. I giggled, too.

"I feel like all you do nowadays is wipe away my tears," I teased.

"There's nothing I'd rather be doing," he answered with the faintest of smiles. His hand slid from my cheek to the bottom of my neck. His pale green eyes flickered up and down my face; my lips parted in surprised ecstasy as he inched his face closer to mine. Our lips were nearly touching, ready to melt away into pure elation...

"Drinks!"

And, the moment's gone. Well done, Sirius.

Sirius carried three mugs of butterbeer to our table, setting one down in front of each of us. Remus glared at him as he sat down, completely oblivious to the moment he just shattered into a million, billion pieces. He hummed to himself, smiling dumbly.

"What?" he asked innocently. That was too much for me. I burst out laughing at Sirius' expense. Remus soon followed suit; first letting a grin grow, then a chuckle, until a full, booming guffaw echoed through the pub. New, happy tears rolled onto the table as I held my sides, which ached in the best possible way.

"I don't get it. Why are you guys laughing?" Sirius said, confounded.

"Forget about it, Padfoot," Remus snickered.

"What about you? I thought you hated us?" Sirius directed at me. I could only shrug; my laughter now silent from overuse.

"Whatever, you guys are weird. And that's coming from me."

We ended up staying at the Three Broomsticks for another two hours. I don't think I'd ever had that much fun. We would have stayed longer, but McGonagall showed up. She nearly saw me; thankfully, Sirius created a diversion by setting off a Whizbee that he nicked from Zonko's. It flew right into her hair, knocking her flat on the ground. It was hilarious.

Night rolled by, before I knew it Sirius left Remus and I so Remus could take me back to Ravenclaw tower. Once again, we made the trek in silence. This silence differed from all of the other times, though. It was comfortable, nice even. In my head ran hundreds of scenarios of how I wanted the night to end. I fidgeted with my fingers, debating if I should reach out and grab Remus' hand. Just as I plucked up the courage, we reached my common room door. '_Okay, false alarm. Abort. Abort!'_ I thought as I tried to pull my hand back, much to the distress of every muscle in my arm. Luckily, I was able to make it look like going to scratch my other arm. He smiled up at me as I dumbly clawed at my not-itchy skin. Why did I have to be so weird?

"Here we are, yet again. You know people will really start getting the wrong impression of me as a prefect for letting you off the hook as many times as I do," Remus grinned, his eyebrows raising comically.

"Me! Now that's rich. The worst I've done is sneak out of bed after hours. Last time I checked, _you _were the one that got caught stealing," I countered, playfully raising my voice. "I should turn you in for all the trauma you caused me."

He let out one of his boom of a laughs. I liked that I could make him laugh like that. I'd never heard him guffaw like that when he was with anyone else, and it made me feel special. Like he enjoyed my company differently than he did with his friends.

"If you're going there, I can still rat you out for going to Hogsmeade _without_ your form…that I may or may not have stolen."

"Mmhmm. May or may not, my arse," I sassed with my hands on my hips. "Let's resign to a truce. Deal?"

I stuck out my hand for him to shake. _'If I couldn't act quick enough to hold his hand, then at least I'll get to shake it,' _I reasoned, making up for my earlier blunder. He stared at it for a second, feigning deliberation. I punched his arm with my un-extended hand to speed up his smartassery.

"Ow! Alright, fine. Truce," he said shaking my hand, wincing at his now bruised shoulder. I didn't know my own strength sometimes…

His hand lingered in mine for longer than I was expecting him to linger. I thought, you know, an extra couple seconds…but, no. This boy held onto my hand for a good fifteen seconds before letting me go. And when he did, he had to hide the pained expression on his face. How peculiar.

"Right, goodnight," he stated quickly and business-like.

"Goodnight," I replied, but I'm sure he ignored me. I was left standing outside my common room door very confused, because up until we said goodnight everything was going swimmingly.

I hope he hasn't had a sudden realization that I'm a complete loser. I mean, I am, but still. I would hate for him to change his mind about me once we started getting closer. It was with that unsettling thought that I was swept away into slumber land.

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**Remus, boy, what's the matter with you! Here you have a perfectly good Jordan in front of you and what do you do? Nothing. I am disappoint. **

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**Question: Why do you think Remus was acting so funny?**

**I hope you guys like these questions at the end, cause I like reading your responses :).**

**Until next time! **


	9. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Hello, hello! Welcome back, or welcome in general! I won't say much before I leave you to it, but just a thank you for all the reviews and/or faves/follows! You guys are da best! **

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It's that time of year again…Halloween! My absolute favorite! I could practically smell the pumpkin pie from the annual feast. There was no other time I felt more at home at Hogwarts then I did at Halloween. Mostly because I was allowed to transform into my Animagus form. My first year here, I couldn't control when I turned into fox; it was a real problem. You can't go turning into a fox in the middle of your Herbology lesson, at least that's what Professor Sprout said. I guess she didn't like that I ate her shrivelfigs…

Anyway, after that Professor McGonagall gave me private lessons in transforming, as she was an Animagus herself. She taught me how to control my gift, and also how to focus it. After a few lessons, I was able to merely wiggle my nose to turn my ears into that of a fox's. With my new abilities I was given a new set of rules. I could only transform fully on Halloween. I wasn't really given an explanation as to _why _Halloween, all I know is that I would be expelled if I didn't follow the rule. There was no way in hell I would be breaking that anytime soon.

Not transforming in such a long time does make me a bit on edge, though. I get this itch in the pit of my stomach that I can't ever scratch. At times I wish I was unregistered, so I could get away with turning anytime I wanted. Nobody would ever get by with being an Animagus _without_ registering themselves, unfortunately. Oh well, I had more troubling things on my mind.

Remus hadn't spoken to me in a week. I wondered what I had did to make him avoid me. I reran the last time we talked in my mind. I got angry at him for stealing my form, he gave me a letter, we made up, we had fun the rest of the night, then he got all weird when he said goodbye. I should ask Sirius. He'll probably know something, or maybe not. He was as reliable as a building held made with string and gum. Still, worth a shot.

I started my search near the kitchens, figuring he'd need to steal some scraps to feel rebellious. And lookie here, I was right. Ducking out of a painting of a pear was the notorious Sirius Black with a massive rucksack filled to the brim with goodies underneath his arm.

"Wotcher, Black," I called, surprising the thief in action.

"Merlin's beard!" he exclaimed, jumping higher than the ceiling and knocking his head on the door of the painting. "What the _hell_ did you do that for?"

I placed my hands on my hips, "Whatcha got there?"

"Just some provisions," he said nonchalantly, beginning to strut away from me.

"For what?" I said, trotting after him. _'You won't get away that easily,' _I thought cheekily.

"None of your business."

"Worried I'll tell?"

"Actually, yes. Now if you don't mind, I'm busy."

"You, busy?" I laughed. That was new. What, was he planning on pulling an all-nighter outside of the girls' dormitory?

"It happens occasionally," he replied, continuing his quick pace.

"How occasionally?"

"Once a month, if you must know. Well, it's been a lovely chat, but I've really got to go, so ta-ta."

"Wait! I actually had something to ask you."

"What?" he groaned, tilting his head up to the heavens. Drama queen.

"Why hasn't Remus talked to me?" I asked timidly. Whenever I brought up Remus to Sirius I got unusually shy. The added fact that what I was asking was incredibly girly, and felt silly the moment it left my lips wasn't helping either. His eyes searched me over; was he thinking about his answer or if he would be able to run off? My stomach turned to jelly as I waited for his reply, or his retreat. Thankfully, he opened his mouth to speak.

"He's," he started, choosing his words carefully. "He's been a bit unwell lately, and he doesn't want you to catch it."

I cocked my eyebrow, _'Do you think I'm an idiot?'_

"He's unwell? That's what you're going with?" I insisted, my tone going from timid to tyrannical in seconds.

"Yes," he replied slowly. "I do know that he does feel terrible about avoiding you."

"Avoiding? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, not avoiding as in _avoiding _avoiding, but like avoiding as in like he doesn't want you to get sick," he attempted to regain his footing, but too late. He slipped into the rabbit hole and I was not letting him out.

"I don't mind. Why don't you take me to see him? If he's _avoiding _me, then I can tell him there's no need for it. If he gets me sick, then so be it. I'm sure whatever it is isn't even contagious," I argued, my temper flaring.

"It's pretty contagious…actually, really contagious. So contagious that if you get within five meters of him, you'll catch it. Don't want to risk it; better not see him."

"Why can you see him, then? And James? And Peter?" I questioned. Sirius sputtered a reply, but I rapidly cut him off, "So he is avoiding me! C'mon, then! Spit it out!"

Sirius let out a massive breath and jumped on the spot. "It's not that simple, Jordan. It isn't exactly my thing to tell. Moony would murder me if he knew I told you."

Was he lying just to get me to go away? Or was he telling the truth? Either way, I still wanted to speak to Remus. Giving Sirius a vile look, I clucked my tongue between my teeth. My intimidation face was getting a lot more convincing; then again, I've never had to use it as much as I did around these boys. Sirius shifted uncomfortably in his boots. He did look like he wanted to tell me. He probably is really pressured to keep whatever it is a secret, not only by Remus, but his other friends, as well. Oh, those puppy dog eyes…not the eyes! All wide and pained looking. And there goes my intimidation face.

"Alright, you don't have to tell me," I moaned. Why did I have to be such a softy?!

"Thank you," he relieved.

"I still want you to take me to see him," I demanded. _'If I can't fish it out of Sirius, then I'll go straight to the source!'_

Sirius turned over my request in his shaggy head. He twiddled his fingers, and bit his lip, finally slapping his hand onto his forehead. I waited with bated breath.

"Fine, if it'll get you off my back."

"Yes!" I cheered, then cleared my throat, trying to regain my coolness. Sirius' raised eyebrow implied that I'd never been cool. "I mean, of course you will, because I told you to. I'm cool."

"Look, if we're going to do this you need to calm down."

"I am calm!" I said, not so calmly. I quickly regained my composure, "I'm calm, and ready to go. Where are we going, exactly?"

"To the shack."

"The shack? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see when we get there," he said, turning around and starting down the stairs. "Are you coming, or not?" he asked over his shoulder.

I hurried after him. Maybe I wasn't ready. This seemed a lot more complicated that I originally thought. I pondered what fancy thing we would have to do to get to this mystery location. Was there another statue that you could tap that opened a different passage? How many of those things were there, and how did I not know about any of them?! I felt really left out. Sirius was going at an alarming fast pace. I'd never seen him move that fast. Must want to make up time for our little spat.

Eventually, we came to the halt just outside the courtyard. Sirius turned to me, suddenly living up to his name and suiting a somber expression.

"Jordan, I must warn you, what we're about to embark on, there's no going back. Do you understand? If you continue on with me, you will be sworn to secrecy about whatever it is you see. Understand?" he asked in a voice much unlike his own.

I thought about it for a moment. This was quite serious, wasn't it? How many lines would I be crossing by pushing my nose in where it obviously didn't belong? That alone made me hesitate my answer. Then my thoughts brought me to Remus. He probably wouldn't forgive me, or Sirius for that matter, if I let something slip. Not that I would; not on purpose, at least.

I bit my lip, took a deep breath, and responded, "Let's go."

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**This is kind of a filler chapter or sorts...mehhhh I hate writing those! However, sometimes they are necessary! Just a quick thing, this takes place the day of Halloween. Meaning, she will be able to transform...I don't know, could be important ;P**

**If you wouldn't mind, please leave a review & answer me this!:**

**What do you think of Jordan & Sirius' relationship, and where do you think it'll go?**

**Thanks for reading! I'll update sooner next time, promise! **


	10. The Place in the Tree

**Sorry for the wait! I'll get right to it :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own HP.**

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Sirius led me with his wand out in front of him, the tip glowing to guide our footsteps. It was cold outside, much colder than I thought it would be even for a night in October. My teeth chattered quietly as I got closer to Sirius in efforts to share some body heat. He gave me a funny look, like I was making a move on him or something.

"Don't flatter yourself," I scowled, recoiling. I could deal with the cold.

It was surprising that no one tried stopping us. You would think security would be extra tight on Halloween; I guess all the teachers were busy at the feast.

Ah, the feast. My mouth watered as I thought about all of the food I was missing out on. The pumpkin pies, the cauldron cakes…the muffins! Ugh, muffins…yet again, you have slithered from my grasp.

"Nearly there," Sirius said maneuvering us towards the Whomping Willow. I stopped in my tracks, hoping to Merlin he was kidding.

"Excuse me? You are _not _going to that awful tree are you?" I asked in my sassiest tone.

He turned around and gave me the most sarcastic glare I have ever been given. I felt the angst gushing from his every pore as he addressed me, "YES, that is where I am going. Now, are you joining me, or have you changed your mind?"

"I'm going!"

"Then, ladies first," he scuffed as he thrust out his arm to let me continue before him, mocking gentlemanly behavior. I stuck out my tongue and pushed passed him. He was getting on my last nerve; if he didn't stop with the whole moodiness thing, I'd have no choice but to hex him into next week.

We continued down the hill until we reached the base of the willow. I paused, glaring at my companion and throwing my hands up at my sides.

"What now, genius?"

"Now, we go in."

"I beg your pardon, but did you say _go in?_"

"That's exactly what I said."

"And how do you propose we '_go in' _a tree? And one that hits, no less!"

He smiled a devilish grin at me. It was unnerving; it was like he knew more than I ever could. Which, of course, is ridiculous because I mean…c'mon. It's Sirius.

"I'm guessing you know what an Animagus is," he smirked, putting his hands in his pockets. I went white as the moon. _'He knows. How does he know? Oh, Merlin I am so screwed!' _

"Yeah…why are you asking?" I asked defensively. I put on a tough front, but on the inside my brain was in mayday mode.

"I know something you don't," Sirius sang, bragging about his knowledge. _'Buddy, I know more than you EVER could.'_

"Really," I stuttered, taking a big gulp. "What might that be?"

"I'll give you a guess," he teased. He was taunting me! I knew Sirius could go low, but I didn't think he would stoop to this kind of torment! I decided it was best to fess up about being an Animagus, so I wouldn't have to endure this torture anymore.

"Alright, fine! I'm an Animagus!" I burst out. The smile on Sirius' face faded, replaced by a confused stare.

"You're joking?" he half asked, half told.

"Oh, don't pretend like you didn't know!"

A shock of realization fell over his face as he jaw dropped. "You aren't joking!"

"No! Isn't that what you were trying to tell me?" I flustered. Surely I hadn't just accidently told Sirius that I was an Animagus; there was no way I was that dense.

"No! Not at all!"

Oops. I guess I _was _that dense. My heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach.

"I was trying to tell you the opposite, actually," he shrugged.

"What?"

"I was _going _to say, that _I'm_ an Animagus!"

I stared at him in disbelief. This was turning out to be a bad Muggle sitcom. What are the chances that Sirius was Animagus, too? And why hadn't anyone told me?! It would have been nice to know that I'm not the only registered Animagus at Hogwarts.

"You're…you're like me? I mean..," I blushed. This was exciting! I didn't know how alone I was until I found someone that was different in the same way I was. "What's your form?"

"A black dog," he replied. "And yours?"

"A fox."

"Ah," he exclaimed. "Should've known. I knew there had to be a reason Dumbledore let you keep that little brute of yours."

"He isn't a brute! He's my best friend," I stated. Sirius smiled lightly at me. I returned his grin, then looked to the tree. It was thrashing about more heavily than before.

"Should we get to it, then?" I said, now ready to face whatever it was we were facing.

"We should. Now that I know you're an Animagus, this is going to be a lot easier. Here's how this works," he started, putting his hands on my shoulders to capture my attention. "You will transform into a fox, do you see that knot just above that opening in the roots?"

I nodded.

"You're going to run through the branches, and press it. That should stop the tree from hitting us."

"Run through the branches! And what will you be doing, watching me from the sidelines?"

"I'll be your second pair of eyes. If you miss a branch, I'll stun it for you. See? Teamwork," he smiled.

"Pfft," I breathed. "Teamwork my arse."

"It'll be easier for you. Foxes are considerably smaller than dogs, as I'm sure you're aware."

"Depends on the dog…I picture you as frisky little Schnauzer," I teased. Sirius gave me a face, punching me softly in the arm.

"Just go, would you? We haven't got all night."

"I'm going, don't get your knickers in a twist," I scowled, taking a deep breath. I hadn't transformed fully in a months. Since August, at least. Closing my eyes, I imagined Apollo. I concentrated hard on his movements and his frame. His ears perked; I felt a warm sensation in mine. Next, he twitched his nose. My face grew outwards, turning into an white and orange snout with a black button nose on the end. My eyesight hazed for a moment before turning wildly acute. I was shrinking into the grass; Sirius peered down at me from what seemed like towers. And then, my transformation was complete. I was a bounding, sly, little fox.

"Look at you. You don't look like I thought you would…your fur's redder, instead of orange," Sirius observed, shifting his eyes to get a proper look. I yipped at him, ready to preform my task, while fighting my sudden urge to hunt for mice.

_'Let's go! I'm ready! Go, go, go!' _my fox brain sporadically thought. _'I smell mice...no! Knot in the tree, knot in the tree. Have to press the knot in the tree. Sirius give me the go ahead! I'm ready!'_

"You ready?" Sirius asked me.

_'Yes! That's what I've been trying to tell you! Go!'_

"Alright, I've got your back. GO!"

I didn't waste anytime. Sprinting through the branches on pure instinct, I bobbed and weaved through the aggressive tree's limbs. My four legs felt like air as I glided across the courtyard. I reached the knot in seconds (yet it felt like hours) and pressed it into the bark. The thrashing wood stood still.

Sirius followed me into the hole in the roots, quickly. Once we were inside I undid my transformation, crouching inside in the newly cramped tunnel inside of the Whomping Willow with Sirius by my side.

"Nice job," he said, patting me on the shoulder.

"...Did you just give me a compliment? Like, a real one?"

"Shut up. Keep walking."

"That's better," I smiled, moving forward through the tunnel. We walked for about five minutes before reaching the end of the dirt-covered corridor where a trapdoor waited to be opened. I gave my attention to Sirius, as he would know what to do from here. He stared at me for a second, then a flush of realization flew across his face when he became aware that I was waiting for his instruction.

"Oh, right! You don't know what going on. Um, let's see...how do I say this," he stammered, rubbing his stubbly chin. "Basically, we're going to go in and hopefully Moony won't hate me. Don't be startled by the appearance of the shack, it's perfectly safe."

He smiled, very unreassuringly, and opened the door. A pale light flooded through the opening; it sent a shiver down my spine. Ever since my detention, anything remotely foggy looking made me quiver with fear. I blinked to flush the unhappy thoughts away, but I only saw that boy behind my eyelids. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure. Sirius held out his hand to help me up; I took it, however, my clammy palms inhibited me from hiding my fear from him.

"You haven't got cold feet, have you?" he asked.

"No, no. I just haven't transformed in awhile, so I'm a bit shaken," I lied. Luckily, he took that to be the truth and continued to help me up.

I took one look around the room and decided right then that I didn't like it. It was freezing, first off. The walls were so bare and dusty that it only made the room seem colder. What little furniture there was had been ripped up; bits of rotted stuffing pushed through the dingy fabric in tufts. They were like soiled clouds, yellow and fluffy. The smell was horrific, too. It was a mixture of wet dog and old, dirty socks. I wanted to throw up.

Sirius laughed at my expense, "I'm guessing you don't like it, by the look on your face. Give it a chance! It'll grow on you."

"I highly doubt that," I sneered snobbishly. Then, our head snapped up as a door slammed shut upstairs.

"Padfoot! Who are you talking to?" echoed a familiar voice. It wasn't Remus, but I knew I heard it somewhere...

"Uh," Sirius answered, looking to me for help. He mouthed to me, "What do I say?"

I mouthed back, "I don't know!"

"I'm coming down," said the voice. We exchanged panicked glances. Apparently, Sirius wasn't expecting for anyone besides Remus to be here from the look he was giving me.

"What took you so long, you-Oh, hullo," the voice said, surprised to find not only Sirius, but me as well. I thought his voice sounded familiar. Stopped on the second to the last step was none other than James Potter. I should have known, really, and I kicked myself for not realizing sooner. Sirius and James were inseparable; it was a no brainer it was him. I smiled weakly as though to make up for being there.

"Hi..." I said awkwardly.

"Padfoot...can I talk to you for a second?"

"I don't want to be rude and leave our guest here all by herself, Prongs-"

"Now."

"Alright, yep. A talk is just what we need right now, like I said."

Sirius shuffled over to James, who pulled him to a distant corner of the room. The two started whispering to each other, while I stood watching my feet intently. I felt like a scolded child. Obviously Sirius was risking a lot bringing me here; why was he doing that? The whispers got louder as James' temper rose. I could hear snippets of their conversation.

"Moony said that he didn't want-"

"I know, but she's-"

"We have to respect his wishes-"

I tried my best to piece everything together, but I couldn't quite catch it all. A sudden silence ensued, then James sighed heavily. I continued to pretend my shoes were insanely fascinating.

"Jordan," he said. I popped my head up.

"Yes?"

James sighed again, running his hand through his messy hair. "Sirius has informed me that you would like to talk to Remus. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is."

"And, you've already promised that you won't say anything about what you see, correct?"

"Correct," I answered. I felt like I was being interrogated. A bead of sweat formed on my hairline.

"Okay...okay. You can talk to him. If Sirius trusts you, then so do I."

"Thank you," I breathed. James grinned. He really was as handsome as Sirius, but in a more sincere kind of way. It was easy to tell from his eyes that he really did trust me. My chest filled with pride knowing I had his faith. Then I looked at Sirius, and some of that went away; mostly because he was winking at me and giving me a thumb's up. _'Great...I've got this weirdo's trust. Lucky me.'_

"I'll take you up to him," James uttered kindly.

"I'll come, too!" exclaimed Sirius.

"No, you keep watch down here. It's your turn, and you were late."

"I'm late because of her!" he shrieked, pointing at me.

"Which could have been avoided all together," James retorted. "Not that we aren't happy you're here, but it really wasn't his call to make," he directed at me in a much nicer tone.

"I understand," I giggled. "I did force him to bring me, if that makes a difference."

"It does, but in your favor instead of his. _I _can barely get him to brush his teeth every morning," he teased, walking up the stairs.

"I see the problem," I laughed, following him. The steps creaked ominously as we made our way to the top. James pointed to a door at the end of the corridor.

"He's asleep in there. It's best if I go in first. Another one of our friends is there, too."

"Who?"

"Peter Pettigrew. You know him, right?"

"Yeah," I whispered. From what I understood, Peter followed James, Sirius, and Remus around like a lost puppy. That's about all I knew of him, but if he hung out with those three, he probably wasn't too bad.

"Good. I'll come and get you when he's awake. Stay right here."

I nodded. He gave me a small smile and a pat on the shoulder before he left. And here I was again, with nothing but my anxiety to keep me company. Super duper. I tried to give the hallway a good look, but all my eyes could see were that boy's face on every inch of it. If I kept on like this, I would have another panic attack. It was bad enough Remus saw me in that state; I didn't want all his friends to see me like that, too. _'Hurry up, James. I'm about to throw up all over the place,' _I thought as memories of the boggart flickered in and out of my mind.

What was taking so long? Did Remus refuse to see me?

_A lake in the summer..._

Surely he would be awake by now...

_Eleven years old...too young to realize what you were capable of..._

Honestly, James, what is taking so long!

_A boy with eyes as blue as the water that killed him..._

Finally, James reappeared, just as I was about to burst into tears. I tried to regain control of my breathing as he sauntered over to me.

"He's awake. I told him you were here, and he's ready to talk to you," he exclaimed, all smiles. His face dropped a little when he saw me. "Is everything alright?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced the tears back into my eye sockets. "I'm fine, fine. I'm ready to talk to him."

James nodded, still frowning. He placed his hand on my back and led me into the room. The door was as shabby as the rest of the house. I took a final gulp before opening the chipped slab of wood. I caught a glimpse of a filthy floor and a blanket with a pair of shoes poking out. The door howled as I opened it up completely. In the room, Remus lay on the ground covered in a blanket with his head propped up by a limp pillow. He grinned when he saw me.

"Why, hello there. Nice of you to pay me a visit," he said sarcastically. "Pay no attention to the dirt everywhere, or the cobwebs, or the fact that I look like I'm dying."

"I'll try my best, but those cobwebs are very distracting," I teased. Remus laughed, and so did someone in the corner of the room. I glanced over to see Peter snacking on some chocolate frogs. Remus rolled his eyes and blew a stray strand of his hair away from his face.

"Wormtail, why don't you and I help Sirius sort through the food he brought?" piped up James. Peter's face lit up at the mention of more food.

"He brought more! Let's go, then!" he said in a squeaky voice full of excitement. Leaping up from his spot (I presume he never moves that fast, considering he just shoved four frogs into his mouth), he hurried over to James, who smiled and winked at us as he closed the door behind them.

I shuffled awkwardly on the spot, finding anywhere to look besides at Remus.

"I don't bite, you know," he said, then changed his mind he let out a dark chuckle, "Well, not _yet_, at least."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll get to that in a minute. Come here," he said, patting the ground next to his makeshift bed. I slowly approached and sat down. The thought of all that dirt on my pants grossed me out, but I tried not to let that show. There were more important things to discuss that didn't have to deal with dust on my bum.

"So...James said you wanted to speak to me. I can imagine why, seeing as I've been avoiding you for the past week or so."

"Why did you do that?"

"In a minute, first you say what you wanted to say. You are infinitely more important right now," he uttered, taking my hand. His hands were cold.

"I only wanted to know why you haven't been talking to me. If I did or said something to offend you, I want to know, so I can apologize and you can start speaking to me again," I rushed. My face felt hot; I was embarrassed by how much I missed him. Seeing him lying on the ground like this made me feel guilty for being mad at him. I could hear that it started to rain outside. The droplets of water pattered against the only window in the room.

"Jordan, you didn't do anything. It's me. It's always me," he stressed, squeezing my hand a little tighter. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You not talking to me hurt," I whispered. That was the wrong thing to say. I knew it as soon as I said it. The rain began to pick up. A rumble of thunder sounded, shaking the building.

He sighed, closing his eyes and letting his head fall to the pillow. He voice cracked when he spoke, "I'm sorry, but you can't be around me. I'm not safe, and you deserve someone who can give you that simple luxury. I'm trying to protect you."

"From what? I don't need protecting! I can take care of myself. I don't understand what you mean when you say you aren't safe."

"Jordan, there are some things you don't know about me. Horrible things."

"Tell me, please. I want to help...please," I whispered as a quiet tear rolled down my cheek. The wind howled as more thunder echoed.

"You can't help me, no one can. I'm stuck like this forever and no one can help me," he replied, getting angrier with every word. "I disgust myself," he spat, turning away from me.

"Remus! How could you say such a thing about yourself?"

A sudden flash of lightening lit up the room, illuminating the scars across Remus' face. Suddenly, it clicked. He looked at me from the corner of his eye, seeing the shock on my face.

"You've figured it out then? Good, saves me the trouble of humiliating myself having to admit it. But, just to confirm your suspicions, yes. I am, in fact, a stinking, rotten, wretched werewolf. Grab your pitchfork and torch, 'cause I'll be transforming in about two hours."

"Don't talk like that."

"Excuse me, _please _grab your pitchfork and torch. Where are my manners?"

"This isn't funny, Remus. I seriously thought you were dying or something," I shrilled.

"Are you kidding me, Jordan? I think this is much worse than dying! I have to live with this for the rest of my life! I have to be a danger to everyone I care about forever, and you just throw it away like it's nothing!" he shouted.

"I didn't say it was nothing! I completely understand why you're upset, and you have every right to be! But saying that dying is better than being a werewolf..."

"YOU DON'T KNOW THE HELL I GO THROUGH EVERY MONTH!"

"I know I don't! What I do know is that I don't think any less of you," I stuttered, tears flowing freely now. "What you call a problem, I call a trait that can be overlooked. The fact that you're a werewolf doesn't affect you as a person."

Remus ignored me, shifting his whole body in the direction opposite of me. That hurt too much for words to describe.

"I think you should go," he muttered. His voice was wet from his tears.

I got up without saying a word and left the room. I cried all the way down the stairs, not bothering to hide my sadness from the other boys laughing in the living room. They fell silent when they saw me.

"I want to leave," I sniffed. Sirius got up from the ground and walked over to me. He opened his arms, pulling me close to him as I cried on his shoulder.

"I'll take you," he whispered.

We left the shack without another moment to lose.

* * *

**Heavy stuff! Thanks as always for reading! Hope you liked it :)**

**Question of the week:**

**Do you agree with Remus' choice to shut Jordan out? **

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	11. Gryffindors

**Hello lovely readers! Wanted to start off by saying thank you for following/favoriting/reviewing! Thanks for putting up with me and my incredibly spaced out chapters :).**

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter ain't mine, yo. **

* * *

I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed. Last night was…I don't even know what it was. Not good, I know that much. What had I done? If I hadn't stuck my nose into things, Remus wouldn't be mad at me. He probably still wouldn't talk to me, but that's better than having him hate me for a reason that neither one of us can change.

I turned over in my covers, forcing my pillow over my head in hopes to suffocate myself. The feather-filled fabric muffled my loud groan. Apparently Apollo took that as an invitation to jump on my back and attempt to lick the living daylights out of my face.

"Ugh! Get off me, Lo! I am not your personal trampoline!" I scowled as he licked under my chin. "Ha ha, stop! That tickles!"

Finally he stopped his aerial attack and pounced on my chest, then his padded feet plopped on the carpet. "Thanks for that. I could have slept for another four days, but _noooo_, you had to go and wake me up."

Nibbling the duvet, he let out a small cry. Deciding it would be better to wallow in my self-pity over breakfast, I swung my feet to the floor. My head hurt from wearing my hair up to bed. It didn't help that I slept like a troll whenever I was sad. Hence, my hair suffered in the highest degree. My body hurt, my head hurt, my everything hurt. I must have been getting sick. A sudden lung spasm told me that my hunch was correct.

Great. Just peachy. On top of Remus being pissed at me, me being pissed at myself, and the endless piles of homework I had yet to touch, I was getting sick as well. Lucky me! When would this torment end? Probably never, because I have the luck of a Russian leprechaun. A.k.a., none at all.

Without even glancing at my mane balled on the top of my head, I put on my slippers. Mmm, warm. My robe hung from an iron coat rack next to the window; it was heated from the sun. The satiny lining brushed across my skin, sending a pleasant chill over my arms. Today, there would be no cares given.

Walking through the corridors, I got a lot of funny looks. I was in a robe and nightdress with fluffy fox slippers…but what business did they have giving me funny looks. It w_as_ a Saturday, last time I checked; robes weren't mandatory. Speaking of robes, a lot of people were wearing theirs. _Was_ it a Saturday? Did I sleep through the weekend!? That couldn't be!

"Hey, you! Yes, you," I snapped at a first year, my speech altered by my stuffy nose. "What day is it?"

"Uh, Saturday…" he muttered, looking like he was about to pee himself. I bit my lip, searching my brain for any important events I may have forgotten about. The first year tried to slither away, but I stopped him.

"No, no, no. Not so fast. Why is everyone in their robes?"

"Um, I don't know…I think that there's supposed to be a guest or something. I heard they were making an announcement this morning, but I'm not sure..," he stuttered. I looked him up and down skeptically, pursing my lips. With a final squint and nod, I sent him off. He scurried faster than a mouse running from Apollo.

This day just keeps getting better, doesn't it? The day's still young…I wonder how long it will take for a three headed dragon to burst through a window and gobble me up? At this rate, I'd be gone before lunch.

Taking into consideration everything the little brat had told me, I decided that this guest would just have to deal with my pajamas. I was too sick and too cranky to go all the way back up to the common room, change, come back down to eat, to only go straight back up there, change back into my pajamas and do all my homework. There was no way in hell that was happening, no sir. So I slumped into the Great Hall, sniffling all the way. Another round of stares welcomed me.

_'Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact, don't—' _I thought, as I maneuvered through the busy hall. The last thing I needed right now was to be badgered about why I looked like a kelpie on a bad day…

"Jordan!"

Oh, look, the dragon I was talking about. He came early; how nice of him.

"What?" I whined, stamping my foot like a small child. Sirius didn't waste any time grabbing my arm and ushering me out of the hall. We passed by all the tasty breakfast foods while my mouth salivated. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a plate full of (you guessed it) blueberry muffins. I swear to freaking Merlin, if I don't get my hands on a muffin soon, I will explode. It wasn't even because I wanted one anymore! It was the principle; the principle of muffins being eaten by me. Until we meet again, my blueberry loves…

"Sirius," I continued to whine, "Where are we going? I'm hungry, and sick, and upset. I just want to eat my feelings for the rest of eternity."

"No, you are not going to do that. I'm taking you to the common room," he replied. His tone was more mature than normal. Maybe it was just because I was acting uncharacteristically immature, but he seemed to be treating me like a brother would treat his litter sister after a bad breakup. It was weird.

"No, I'm not going back to my room until you've fed me."

He turned around, flashing that wily grin he was so known for, "Who said we were going to your common room?"

As he pulled me through the bends of the staircases like a ragdoll, I let my limbs do their thing, swinging and flopping like wet noodles. His speed was too much for my sickly legs; I tripped multiple times. And he laughed, every time. If my head didn't feel like it was eating itself, I would have pushed him down the stairs.

"You really aren't feeling well, are you?" he asked laughing, and picking me up from the ground after my third fall.

"What gave you that idea?" I spat. _'I don't have the patience for you today.'_

"Alright, don't need to get snippy."

"I'll do whatever pleases me, thank you. And as long as we're on the subject of my impending doom proceeding this ridiculous cold, you probably are the reason for my suffering," I accused. My lungs agreed, sending me into another coughing fit.

"Me? How could you possibly pin that on me?"

"You took me out last night! It was freezing, you made me transform which really depletes my immune system, I might add…"

"I still don't see how it's my fault. You could have worn a jacket," he raised.

"You were rushing me! I highly doubt you would have let me go all the way back up to the Ravenclaw tower for a measly jacket."

"Yeah, you're probably right," he admitted, continuing to climb the stairs. "But it still isn't my fault you've got the sniffles."

"The sniffles! Hmph! I can hardly breathe!"

"So you've got a cold, boohoo. You better be feeling well enough for this little trick we're going to play."

Rolling my eyes, I threw a tantrum in my head. If I pushed him, I would be able to run away before he'd hit the ground floor without being seen…

"Sirius, you're daft if you think I'm pulling any sort of prank today. Or any day, for that matter," I said as we rounded another set of stairs.

"You see, I would take that into account normally, but since you know more than you should…well, you don't have much of a choice in the matter. My sincere condolences," he mocked, not really sorry at all. We reached the top of the stairs. He held out his arm to keep me from going up the next flight, "Stop here."

"Why?"

"Do you see that portrait of that woman?" he asked in a hushed tone, pulling me into a nearby classroom.

"Yes," I answered as he fiddled with his something underneath his robes. First, he pulled out his wand, then a Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Firework. I stared at the firework, then at Sirius, then back at the firework.

"What's that for? Please don't tell me you're going to light that," I pleaded. He answered my question with a smirk. I groaned.

"Here's the plan, we need to get you into the Gryffindor common room. That portrait is the entrance. James is going to make an 'announcement' from inside that classroom over there," he explained as he pointed to a room directly across from us. "The announcement is going to draw out all of the people in the common room."

"Don't you guys just need a password to get in?" I challenged. This seemed to be a lot of work for something so simple.

"Yes, but the Fat Lady knows all the Gryffindors. Plus, all of the other Gryffindors would know you weren't supposed to be there. But as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me," he scorned as I stuck out my tongue, "Once the majority are out, I'm going to set off a firework. That's gunna create a diversion so you can get in. James'll meet you at the entrance to say the password. Got it?"

"Yeah," I sighed. There was no point in fighting it; I was in too deep with these idiots. "Where will you be?"

"Running in the opposite direction. Filch will be on the scene at the drop of a hat."

"And when is this announcement?"

"Any second now," he said, getting into a good position. Just as he crouched down, a booming voice echoed through the corridors.

**"****_All students report to the Great Hall to meet our guest. I repeat all students report to the Great Hall."_**

James' voice was cleverly masked by some sort of charm making him sound like McGonagall with a harsh cold. Not a minute after, students came pouring from every which way; the Fat Lady's entrance included. Sirius had the firework in one hand and his wand in the other. With a look of complete concentration he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, perched for attack. He waited for one last group to exit the hole, then he whispered, "Aguamenti!" sending a jet of water out the tip of his wand. It splashed onto the firework, then BOOM!

Flying through the air was a whistling, fizzing sparkfest. Screams filled the halls as the firework bounced all over the marble. A panic ensued as Sirius pushed me out of the room.

"GO!" he screamed. I stumbled out of the classroom, nearly tripping on my own feet. I saw James sneak out door on the other side of the stairs with his head bent ripping through the crowd. Following his lead, I lowered my head and pushed through the panicking students. Elbows as well as knees bashed me around on every side. All I could hear were the trampling footsteps and fearful shrieks as the firework popped in the air. It was like a bloody stampede, and I was right in the middle of it!

I finally made it to the Fat Lady; James was already ready to let me in. He held out his hand for me to grab. I took it hurriedly, ready to get the hell out of the madness.

"Pig snout!" he whispered urgently. The portrait swung open with the Fat Lady still screaming about the firework. She failed to notice James bring in an unexpected guest into her home.

The painting closed the opening and all was quiet again. James and I slumped against the wall in relief. With one look at each other, we both burst out laughing at our conquest.

"I cannot _believe_ that worked!" I said through my stuffy giggles.

"You'd be surprised how many of our completely idiotic plans work," he replied. "Come on in! Welcome to the Gryffindor common room."

"Thank you," I smiled, walking into the lion's den. Crimson lined the walls, the floors, and the furniture; specks of gold littered the whole scene. A crackling fire had been made in the pit, warming the room to the perfect temperature. It was quite the opposite from the Ravenclaw tower. Instead of being pristine and regal, it was cozy. I felt safe as soon as I entered.

"Look who decided to show up?" Mary teased, getting up from her seat on the couch. She ran up to me and pulled me into a tight hug. "The boys didn't scar you too much, did they?"

"Nothing I can't handle," I joked, my voice getting particularly phlegmy. This cold was really bringing down my vibe.

"Are you sick?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"Ew, stop hugging me," Mary shrieked, pushing me away from her.

"Aw. Thanks for your concern, friend," I said sarcastically. I heard Lily laugh from the couch. Next to me, James smiled like a moron. I nudged his shoulder with mine, raising my eyebrows flirtatiously. He made a face at me and gave me a small push. He blushed, "Shut up."

"Uh, nope. I don't think I will. Thanks for offering, though."

"Just go sit down, Wilde. We've got a lot to cover before everyone gets back."

I started for the couch and sat next to Lily. "Why am I here, by the way?"

Lily handed me a toffee. "You'll see," she said as she poured a cup of tea.

"You Gryffindors are all so secretive. I thought Slytherin was the cunning house," I teased, accepting the cup offered.

"That's insulting. I am insulted," James scoffed, plopping down on the armchair next to the couch. He ran his hand through his already messy hair. Probably because Lily was there; he felt the need to put on his cool guy…thing. Whatever that was.

"We're just waiting for someone. Two someones, actually."

"Sirius?"

"Um, no?" Mary replied ambiguously. Why was no one telling me anything? I'd already knew more than I should have. I knew Remus' secret. Oh Merlin, that was the first time I'd thought about Remus since this morning. Excuse me while I spiral into a pit of despair.

"Don't worry about who right now. Let's just chat until they get here," Lily compromised. "James, why do you feel the need to sit like that?"

"Like what?"

"With your legs over the side! Those are for your arms—"

I tuned out the conversation, however amusing it was. I suddenly became very aware that I was alone. I mean, I know that James, Lily, and Mary were there with me, but the room didn't feel complete for some reason. Someone was missing. My only hope was that that someone would walk through the door. It wasn't likely; the someone I was thinking of didn't want to see me. My brain told me to let it go, but whenever I was close to forgetting my stomach got this crazy knot and my heart started beating faster than recommended. My eyes must have glazed over, because James' voice broke through my thoughts.

"Jordan? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I forced. "I'm fine."

* * *

**Sick Jordan = Sassy Jordan**

**That may or may not have leaked in from reality...**

**Question time!:**

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